Don't speak
by Mizu-Tenshi
Summary: After an accident Kai can no longer talk. How can he tell Tyson how he feels when he can't speak? How can Tyson tell Kai how he feels when Kai ignores him completely? Maybe words aren't as important as people make them seem. TyKa
1. Snow

Mizu_Tenshi: Wow, another TyKa from me. Oh, and I've decided to keep everyone's eyes the colour they were in season one. OOC-ness. I'm not sure if it counts as OOC-ness but just in case I'm putting up this warning.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime  
  
************  
  
Chapter One - Snow  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
Dawn rose silently in the east, bleeding colours of red, pink and gold into the sky.  
  
While the gloom had not yet disappeared under the bleak sunlight cold white stars fell from the sky over the town and over Tyson's dojo.  
  
I stretched out a gloved hand to catch them and watched them melt in the palm of my hand. I've always had a strange affiliation with snow.  
  
Turning my back on the falling tears of ice for a moment I surveyed the rest of my team still sleeping soundly.  
  
"Lazy, idiots," I muttered but I was still quite happy to watch them sleep.  
  
Watch *him* sleep, I should say. The blue-eyed boy in the very far corner, just watching him caused a smile to play across my lips.  
  
I mentally slapped myself.  
  
'No, it's not right, it's not proper,' I told myself harshly. 'Forget the idiot; he's confusing you. Why are you so obsessed with him anyway?' I asked myself.  
  
Tyson confused the hell out of me.  
  
Japan, China, France, America, Russia... I've travelled all over the world with him and yet I knew so little about him.  
  
And it was driving me crazy that I didn't even know why I could not stop thinking about him.  
  
Tyson is such an idiot and he gets under my skin all the time but I don't hate it for some reason.  
  
I don't know why I feel all these things and it really pisses me off not knowing anything.  
  
"Stupid Tyson," I muttered.  
  
It all started during Russia. The snow was bringing back memories of when I betrayed my team and with that memories of when Tyson...yeah...when Tyson save me.  
  
There! Back to the idiot Tyson and his idiocy.  
  
Everything led back to him, it makes me feel like I'm was just another part in a story all about Tyson but, somehow, I don't mind just as long as I'm there...by Tyson.  
  
Ugh! How annoying! Maybe I should stop thinking.  
  
Maybe that's what makes Tyson so cheerful; he doesn't think.  
  
Back to Tyson again!  
  
(Normal POV)  
  
Rising with a grunt of frustration, the two-toned, blue haired boy stood amongst the snow. He cast one last glance behind him and then walked out of the dojo and down the icy streets.  
  
He wandered about, going nowhere in particular, just wanting to clear his head before the rest awoke and training would start.  
  
That's when he heard it, footsteps following him.  
  
He turned but there was no one there.  
  
Kai shrugged it off and resumed his course to the shop when he heard it again, that sound of footsteps in the snow.  
  
He turned around again; this time figures seemed to be materialising out of the alley walls.  
  
There were men, lots of men all in black lead by a man in grey uniform.  
  
He was surrounded.  
  
"What is it?" He growled fiercely but received no reply; the leader made an arm gesture and the circle tightened around him.  
  
Kai growled again but he was surrounded, one of the men broke the circle and lunged for him only missing Kai's arm by an inch.  
  
The circle tightened again. There was no place for him to move.  
  
Pairs of arms shot out at him. Some he evaded while others caught him in their vice-like grip all the while their leader just watched impassively.  
  
"Let go!" He struggled but they held on to him.  
  
The leader took out a needle, much to Kai's horror; he hated needles, and approached slowly.  
  
Kai's struggles became wilder, he writhed like a fish but the needle pierced his skin and he slowly felt the world melting away in front of his eyes.  
  
~  
  
The world was spinning as one bleary crimson eye opened.  
  
Slowly the other opened and everything came into focus.  
  
Kai was lying on an operating table with a bright light glaring down at him.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted various electrical equipment and test tubes.  
  
He examined his arms and legs; they were restrained so that he could not move and wires were attached all over his body until it felt as if he was being drowned in a sea of wires.  
  
"Is he strapped up?" Someone said in the shadows behind him.  
  
"Yes sir, we're ready to begin the experiment," someone else replied.  
  
Kai struggled, twisted and turned but he was unable to catch a glimpse of his captors.  
  
"Then start it!"  
  
A scientist in a white lab coat came into view. He approached the machines and began starting them.  
  
Kai took a wild guess. "Boris?"  
  
There was a slow sarcastic clap from behind him and then the harsh bark of "Start the machine!"  
  
At first nothing happened, it was only a good two minutes into the start up that Kai felt it, a tingling sensation running through his body and then images began flashing past him.  
  
Images of people he his team and past team mates, of tutors and bladers, people he knew and people he didn't want to know all flew past.  
  
They were speaking but no sound came out, some were shouting, crying, begging, and screaming.  
  
It was all too much for Kai but even if he closed his eyes the images were still there.  
  
"Don't fight it, Kai, it'll only make it worse," Boris advised.  
  
However, Kai was paying no attention to Boris's advice.  
  
He struggled and twisted as the bonds cut into his flesh. The images kept going faster and faster until Kai felt sick of dizzy.  
  
'You're not good enough, you're not strong enough, you never were.'  
  
People, places punishments all flew around his head.  
  
'No one cares, no one can hear you, no one's there.'  
  
And then...a light? A candle burning? No, he could see the flame but it was black, giving out darkness.  
  
He knew this.  
  
He wanted to scream but the words had escaped him.  
  
"Sir, I think maybe we should - "  
  
"Don't stop until I give the signal, do you understand?" Boris ordered.  
  
"Yes, sir," The scientist nodded and returned to the equipment.  
  
"Now, Kai, you're going to prove all my theories correct; humans can be infused with bit beast power!"  
  
The words fell upon deaf ears as the images continued whirling Kai felt a pain growing in his head.  
  
"Sir!" The scientist yelled. "He can't take much more of this."  
  
"Keep going!"  
  
"Sir, if you don't stop the experiment now there's good chance he'll die!"  
  
However, Boris gave no indication of letting up, not now, when he was so close to his goal.  
  
The equipment began to overheat, smoke rose from the machines but the experiment continued.  
  
"Sir!" The scientist cried again. "Sir! Sir, we must - "  
  
There was a loud bang, bringing Boris out of his trance.  
  
The equipment began to explode, fire grew almost surrounding Kai with its red-hot tongues.  
  
"Let's go!" Boris yelled, his teeth gritted in frustration; he was so close!  
  
Kai watched them escape the collapsing building still struggling vainly to free himself.  
  
He still felt the tingling sensation burning through his body and the images still flashed like a flickering cinema screen across his eyes.  
  
Another blast went off near him.  
  
Down the streets people turned round in shock as they heard a loud bang in the distance.  
  
****************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: It took me a while before I finally decided to put this up. I'm not sure about TyKa's you see. I'm terrible at romance but I've decided to give it one last shot and if this fails.well then I'll accept that I was not made for writing romance. 


	2. Eyes

Mizu_Tenshi: I apologise to those who don't want this to be TyKa but I've already got everything planned so I'm afraid I'm going to stick with my plans. Sorry to those who are disappointed but if you don't like yaoi then don't read.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing and gain no money by writing this.  
  
*************  
  
Chapter Two - Eyes  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
I was awake, I had been awake for some time but I refused to get up because a) it was snowing and it was cold and b) Kai was already awake.  
  
I told myself that if I got up he would make me train straight away but I knew that was not entirely true.  
  
He turned round and I quickly shut my eyes, pretending to be fast asleep. I could feel his eyes on me and my insides squirmed.  
  
Kai always had that effect on me.  
  
"Stupid Tyson," I heard him mutter.  
  
I thought he was going to finish by saying, "I know you're awake so stop being an idiot and start training," but he didn't say another word.  
  
'Stupid Tyson...' So he thought I was stupid? Yeah, I already knew that. I knew he thought that I was lazy, fat, ignorant, and childish and a thousand other negative words.  
  
Before, I wouldn't have minded so much but now it seemed to hurt like icy knives stabbing through me and I didn't even know why. I guess I'm over- sensitive.  
  
With a sigh I heard him get up and walk away.  
  
I waited a moment before I tentatively opened one eye. He was gone and I was left staring at the spot where he had stood as the snow came falling down.  
  
He thought I was stupid, so what? I think he's arrogant, conceited and...uh...other stuff.  
  
Shaking of my thoughts of Kai I decided to wake the others. There was one thing you could do with snow and one thing only; play in it!  
  
(Normal POV)  
  
The coldness around him abated slightly and the feeling of a warm but heavy material draping over him was introduced.  
  
Slowly, Kai blinked away the haziness from his vision. Imaged flashed like an old, flickering film and the sounds of people around him sounded muffled and distorted like hearing someone speak with your ears underwater.  
  
"Hey, are you okay? Can you move?" someone asked.  
  
A man knelt by Kai's side by the ruins of what had appeared to be a small building.  
  
Kai did not say anything, he did not even show any indication that he had heard a single word the man had said.  
  
Inside his head images still flashed around and the pain of his past cut deep as if he was reliving the very moment again.  
  
Despite his inward the struggle Kai's face was strangely serene. Eyes the colour of dried blood stared up at the snowing sky but not really seeing it.  
  
"Listen, I'm going to get you to the hospital, what happened?" the man continued to question Kai but the most he got was a slight blink of the eye.  
  
"Hello, can you hear me? Talk to me!" The man cried.  
  
No answer.  
  
In the distance Kai heard the alarmed whispers of others get sharper and the sound of sirens wailing in the distance getting closer and closer to him.  
  
He then felt hands lifting him. Was Biovolt capturing him again?  
  
He tried to struggle but he was too tired to do anything.  
  
He just stared blankly up at the sky as he was put onto a stretcher, he just stared at the snow kissing his cheeks until the warmth of the ambulance embraced him and the doors shut.  
  
The crowds that had formed parted to let the ambulance drive past while snow came down.  
  
~  
  
Temperatures were below zero; a new barrage of snow was falling heavily upon the icy streets as the gang played in front of the sugar-topped dojo.  
  
After being hit with the hundredth snowball that day Ray walked into the welcome warmth of the dojo, feeling the numbing coldness around him abating in the fiery heat.  
  
Inside Kenny, wrapped up in his winter gear, was still typing away on Dizzi with a cup of hot chocolate by his side.  
  
"Not going out?" Ray the younger boy asked cheerfully.  
  
"I find typing on Dizzi to be better than being outside in the freezing cold. We should be training anyway," Kenny replied.  
  
Ray pulled a face, "you sound just like Kai," he teased. "Where is Kai anyway?"  
  
Kenny shrugged, he looked as if he was about to say something when the phone rang.  
  
"I'll get it," Kenny sighed, rising with a little difficulty from the dojo floor.  
  
"Hey, Ray, get back out here!" Max called.  
  
"In a minute!" Ray yelled back, he wanted some time in the warmth before returning to the snowy ground.  
  
"What's the matter? Scared I'll pelt you with snow again?" Max teased from outside.  
  
Ray just shook his head, concealing a smile from no one in particular when Kenny came back, white face and shivering.  
  
"What's up, chief? You haven't been out in the cold, have you?"  
  
"Ray," Kenny began slowly. "Get the others, I think I know where Kai is."  
  
Ray stared quizzically at Kenny but he knew he would only get an explanation when the others were rounded.  
  
Walking to the very front of the building, he called Tyson and Max in as the snow continued coming down.  
  
~  
  
"Where is he? Where is he?" Tyson ran around the hospital calling out and disturbing many of the patients.  
  
"Calm down, Tyson, I'm sure he's okay," Kenny reassured the anxious teen.  
  
Ray, who had done the logical thing and went to the counter, came back to inform his friends of what he had discovered. "I checked with the nurse; it's room twenty but the nurse said that - "  
  
Tyson was off, speeding down the polished corridors before Ray had even finished his sentence.  
  
"Tyson, come back!" Max called.  
  
Hearing Maxi's voice, Tyson looked back on his friends as he ran...  
  
Straight into the doctor coming out of one the rooms.  
  
There was a loud 'clang' as the two collided and fell in a dizzy heap on the floor  
  
"Tyson, you should watch where you're going!" Kenny scolded as Ray and Max helped Tyson and the doctor up.  
  
"Sorry," Tyson apologised to the man he had just bumped into. "I was in a rush, my friend Kai - "  
  
"Kai Hiwatari?"  
  
"Yeah, you know him?" Tyson asked curiously.  
  
"I'm the doctor treating him," the man explained.  
  
Ray took a step forward to meet the doctor "Is he okay? Can we go see him?" he asked.  
  
"He was caught in an explosions but, miraculously, he was not that hurt," the doctor began. Some of the tension visibly disappeared from the atmosphere as the group allowed themselves to breathe out a sigh of relief.  
  
"However," the doctor broke off the relaxed atmosphere.  
  
"However?"  
  
"However, the explosion seems to have caused him some psychological trauma and...well he's mute now."  
  
"He's what?!" Tyson gaped.  
  
"It means he can't talk," Kenny explained.  
  
"I know what it means!" Tyson snapped. "How'd he get caught in an explosion anyway?"  
  
"I don't know; he can't talk so he can't explain it to us, he won't even respond to our questions," the man shook his head sadly, shrugging his coat. "You go in but he is very unresponsive; I doubt he'll even notice you," he called back as he walked away.  
  
The groups took one pausing glance at he retreating back of the doctor then turned to the door marked 'twenty.'  
  
Ray was the first to push open the door. It creaked slightly and they all peered in like adventurers exploring the rooms of a haunted house.  
  
Kai was sitting up in one of the hospital beds, his head bowed and hair hiding his face in shadows.  
  
The boy did not look up as the door widened and his team piled in, he just stared at his now glove-less fingers, looking at every detail but not really taking anything in.  
  
"Kai!"  
  
No response.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
"Kai, hello, it's us!" Max yelled, snapping his finger in front of Kai's bowed head. "You're not deaf as well as mute so look at us! Hello!"  
  
"Guys, remember what the doctor told us?" Kenny said. "Maybe we should come back at another time," he suggested.  
  
"Yeah but - " Max began to protest.  
  
"It's no good talking to someone who acts like a zombie, we better leave him to recover," Kenny pointed out.  
  
Silence hung over the room but they all knew that the chief was speaking the truth.  
  
"Um, well get better soon, okay?" Ray waved goodbye.  
  
"Yeah, Kai, come back soon," Max added as the group filed out of the door leaving only Tyson standing by Kai's bed.  
  
Tyson cocked his head to try and catch a glimpse of Kai's face, he out- stretched his arm but he didn't dare shake the blue haired boy by the shoulder so instead he whispered, "Kai," and predictably, received no answer.  
  
Tyson frowned at the boy ignoring everything around him. "Kai," he said loudly.  
  
Like someone that had been given a quick electric shock, Kai's head shot up a fraction of an inch, just enough for Tyson to see his face.  
  
Their eyes met, dried blood coloured eyes staring into pools of sky blue and vice versa.  
  
They stared at each other, neither saying a word and all the while the snow came down.  
  
************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: You know, I thought of putting Hillary in it but I'm not used to writing fics with Hillary so what do you think? Should there be some Hillary in this?  
  
Thanks to: daisuki, Chibi-TyKa, Timberwolf220, turbo, DragonBlade, D.G., yhhh, chaos, JadesRose, Child of the Stars, Tenma Koneko, KaiKurtRavenWizy, Krixel, Yoshimi Ono, Mariana1, Deathstopper, Rumi-chan, Techno Ranma, Identity Thief, Feelin Glayish, Nancys-little-Obsession, Kiina and Skittles the Sugar Fairy. 


	3. Strawberries

Mizu_Tenshi: The last chapter was too short and I'm late in updating but hopefully this will make up for it. Oh and there will be no Hilary.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing and gain no money by writing this.  
  
*************  
  
Chapter 3 - Strawberries  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
My fingers twisted and entwined themselves around each other in anticipation.  
  
To my right, Ray and Max were pacing up and down, stopping and then pacing up and down again while to my left, the chief just sat with his legs swinging back and forth.  
  
It was only two days since Kai had been admitted to hospital and already he was coming out.  
  
"There's nothing more we can do for your friend. Physically, he wasn't that badly hurt but mentally..." the doctor trailed off.  
  
True, Kai's body had not been damaged in any serious way but it tore me up just thinking about it. I knew all they wanted was for him to get out so they had more hospital beds.  
  
"A psychiatrist will come round everyday for the next week in case we can coax Kai into responding,"  
  
The doctor had said that as well. I'm not that hopeful, though.  
  
Seeing Kai like that was enough to tear me apart.  
  
I had to excuse myself several times when visiting him. I just could not bear seeing him so...so blank and lifeless.  
  
Sure, Kai's not exactly the up-beat type but even so it was painful.  
  
My ears pricked at the sound of a car driving along the deserted streets.  
  
The others heard it too because we all jumped up as one and ran outside the dojo grounds.  
  
I felt my heart leap the moment I saw Kai emerging from the black Sedan. His hair waving in the bitter winter wind, eyes shining like rubies under the sun. He was still as perfect as the day I met him.  
  
The car drove off in a hurry. I got the impression whoever was driving had better things to do than drop off a mute teenager.  
  
"Hiya Kai!" Max waved cheerfully.  
  
Kai walked past, his head bowed, staring at the floor as he walked past the arch that led to the dojo.  
  
The wind swept past the group as they step aside for the crimson-eyed boy. The chill made them all shiver.  
  
"Hey now, it wouldn't hurt to wave back, would it?" Max asked, in a slightly hurt tone.  
  
I watched him pass, watched him walk like a puppet on a string with no life, no soul, just moving like an empty shell.  
  
The others raced after him, trying to get him to at least look at us but he just kept walking.  
  
"Hey, come on, I know loosing your voice is hard but you could always learn sign language," Kenny said optimistically.  
  
"Yeah, it isn't that bad, we'll always stick by you and be your friends; remember that," Ray added encouragingly.  
  
None of their words were working. They were just bouncing off the shell Kai had wrapped around himself.  
  
I remember the time when he looked at me, that time I thought I had reached him so I tried again.  
  
"Hey Kai, if you don't shake your head then that means we get a whole day off of training!"  
  
Kai just walked on as if nothing ever happened. As if he was the only one left in the entire world.  
  
"Kai?"  
  
"Wow, he didn't respond," I murmured in awe.  
  
We followed him inside, Kai had placed himself in the darkest corner, his crimson eyes staring at us as if we were all wild animals.  
  
My stomach suddenly rumbled as I walked in. I patted it slightly, remembering that I had not eaten yet.  
  
"Oh man, I'm starving!" I complained.  
  
"You're always hungry," Max pulled a face.  
  
"Let's order out pizza," I suggested. "The meat feast"  
  
This time Ray pulled a face. "How can you eat so much meat?" he asked.  
  
"I want anchovies on mine!" Max piped in.  
  
"Ugh!"  
  
Kenny, who had been silent for most of the time murmured. "I'll just go with the Hawaiian."  
  
I'm very partial when it comes to pizza and when I heard Kenny say Hawaiian I spun round. "No way!" I cried. "Fruit does not belong on a pizza!"  
  
"What about you, Kai? What do you want?" Ray turned and asked Kai, who was still in his little corner.  
  
Naturally, he didn't answer to the question.  
  
"You have to eat something, Kai."  
  
I turned away from the sight of Ray beckoning a response out of Kai when I decided to make the order.  
  
Grabbing the phone from off the wall I began silently dialling the pizza place.  
  
"Yeah, I'll have the meat feast with stuffed crust, garlic bread - "  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Max yelled and lunged at me before I could finish my sentence.  
  
I dodged the attack, sending him sprawling on the dojo floor.  
  
Pulling down one eyelid and sticking my tongue at him I ran into the kitchen with the phone still in my hand.  
  
"Come back here!" I heard Max shout.  
  
I ran away with Max on my tail, in a sudden leap he lunged at me again and this time caught me by the ankles.  
  
With a crash we ended up in a huge pile on the floor.  
  
Max grabbed the phone of me and practically shouted down the other end, "we'll call you back later!"  
  
"Mercy!" I cried, holding my hands up innocently but Max was heartless.  
  
"Oh, I'll show you mercy!" he yelled with an unnerving glint in his eye.  
  
I gulped, wondering what he would do when Max suddenly began tickling me to death.  
  
"Okay, okay, we'll order what you want!" I cried in between tears of laughter.  
  
At that Max got off me and hoisted me to my feet.  
  
"Hey, I'm not having any anchovies," Ray said. He was standing in the doorway, a subtle but unmistakable smile across his felling features.  
  
"I don't want any mushrooms either," Kenny added  
  
"You guys are so picky. I bet Kai..." I suddenly stopped and thought for a minute. "I bet Kai would just order one pizza and make us eat it."  
  
"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Max asked.  
  
"Of course I'm worried. Kai's always been a silent guy but this time..." I trailed off.  
  
"We know," Ray sighed, shaking his head sadly. "We're all worried about him."  
  
"Why won't he respond?" I asked. "Even if he just points to something or writes something down would be enough."  
  
"There's nothing we can do about it," Kenny shrugged, "maybe the psychiatrist will help," he added, seeing the disappointed looks on all of our faces.  
  
We were all silent. Each one of us was thinking along the same lines but there was no need to voice it, it was just too hard to say.  
  
Finally, Ray broke the silence. In a soft, almost inaudible voice he said, "you know, I don't feel like pizza."  
  
"Me neither, let's just go to bed, yeah?" Max agreed and we all walked back to where Kai was sitting.  
  
~  
  
(Normal POV)  
  
"Okay, can you point to the blue object?"  
  
The psychiatrist sat outside in the morning sun with Kai and a range of coloured 2D shapes placed on the floor in between them.  
  
Kai stared at the shapes the way he stared at everything else; looking but never really seeing.  
  
"The blue one," she repeated.  
  
Again, Kai stared but gave no indication of ever hearing a single thing from the woman's mouth.  
  
"Alright, why don't you point to the circle instead?"  
  
No response.  
  
The woman sighed, running a hand through her long black hair. It seemed to be another one of those days.  
  
However, she did not give up just yet. She continued to ask Kai a range of simple questions, hoping against hope for him to change his gaze or move a finger.  
  
"I hear you beyblade, could you show me your blade?"  
  
"Could you draw your bitbeast for me?"  
  
"Do you understand what I'm saying, just nod if you do."  
  
From behind the two a pair of sky blue eyes watched intently.  
  
"Okay," the woman sighed. "Close your eyes...or not," she added once she realised Kai was not going to do a single thing she said.  
  
Tyson sniffed and continued to observe Kai's first lesson with the psychiatrist.  
  
It seemed to be a waste of everyone's time. Kai just was not doing anything but staring at the ground, only occasionally getting up to walk somewhere.  
  
Tyson sighed and watched. There was always hope.  
  
"Imagine you're somewhere else," the psychiatrist continued. "You can be anywhere you want to be. The birds are singing and the flowers are dancing. You're laughing and the sound of your laughter sounds beautiful, now.."  
  
Finally, Tyson could not take more of the lesson. The very sight made him sick to the stomach.  
  
As soon as he turned round and walked inside he was immediately confronted by a grim-faced Ray.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
"Bad," Tyson mumbled.  
  
"He's not eating," Ray commented.  
  
"Yeah, I know that."  
  
"Tyson, it's gonna be okay, he'll be okay."  
  
"Yeah, I know that too," Tyson sighed, allowing his shoulder to sag as if he had not had sleep for a thousand years. "It's just...I hate it," he muttered bitterly.  
  
"Tyson," Ray soothed the stressed out boy.  
  
"I hate seeing Kai like this, you know? He's not deaf so why won't he respond when we talk to him? Did we do something wrong? Is this some kind of sick form of silent treatment?" Tyson yelled.  
  
"I don't think he's punishing us," Ray assured the navy haired teen.  
  
"Then why won't he even respond?"  
  
Ray did a Kai and did not say anything.  
  
"I'm going to get something to eat," Tyson muttered, not noticing the worried glance Ray gave him as he walked away.  
  
~  
  
The fridge door slammed shut. As he stood up with a bowl of fruit he could sense eyes watching him, crimson eyes.  
  
"Kai," Tyson murmured softly.  
  
Kai stared at Tyson. Their eyes met, one set blank, the other filled with sorrow.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Tyson demanded. "Why can't you just nod or shake your head or something?!"  
  
Kai did not give Tyson an answer; he just looked down at the floor as if he was ashamed of something.  
  
"Kai, please," he pleaded. "I wish there was some way of getting your voice back," he murmured until he noticed Kai staring at the bowl in his hands.  
  
"Do you want some?" Tyson asked, holding the bowl up to Kai's face.  
  
Kai stared at the fruit for a long time. Tyson even dared to think Kai would suddenly speak but just when his hopes reached their highest peak Kai turned and walked away leaving a deflated and very upset Tyson.  
  
~  
  
Silence was strong in the dojo. Scenes like this were becoming uncomfortably common.  
  
Kenny just sat typing away on Dizzi while Kai was a silent as ever and Tyson, who was next to him, was dittoing Kai.  
  
The only noise was the sound of Ray biting in a bowl of strawberries and Maxi's quiet whining.  
  
"Give me some," Max pleaded but Ray was very possessive when it came to strawberries.  
  
"Mine," he shook his head firmly  
  
"You're so selfish!" Max pouted.  
  
"There are more in the fridge but these are mine," Ray said, hugging the bowl of strawberries closer to him.  
  
Maxi's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, right!" he grinned and dived for the bowl.  
  
"Hey!" Ray yelled as the bowl flew out of his arms and, miraculously landed safely by Kenny's foot.  
  
"Watch it!" Kenny cried indignantly, annoyed that he was interrupted in the middle of something important with Dizzi.  
  
"Sorry chief," the two teens apologised.  
  
Kenny muttered something under his breath and plucked a strawberry from the bowl. "These are good," he murmured.  
  
"What about me?" Max pleaded but Kenny ignored him and offered some to Tyson instead.  
  
"I'm not hungry," Tyson shook his head.  
  
Ray took the bowl off of Kenny, popping another strawberry into his mouth he pushed the bowl towards Tyson. "Try some!" he insisted.  
  
"I'm not hungry!" Tyson lashed out, causing Ray to step back in surprise.  
  
"Hey, don't snap at him!" Max defended Ray.  
  
Tyson turned his nose up on his blonde friend. "I'll do what I want," he muttered.  
  
"That's not fair!" Kenny cried, decided to join in on the argument.  
  
"Yeah, just because you're upset about Kai is no reason to take it out on us!" Max continued. "We're upset too but we're dealing with it."  
  
"How?" Tyson demanded angrily. "By pretending that everything's okay? Well news flash, things *aren't* okay and a bowl of strawberries won't make it better," he yelled, turning away from the hurt looks of his team mates.  
  
Kai began looking around, his eyes switching from each of his angry team mates to the bowl on the floor and he briefly recalled being offered one before.  
  
Slowly, a gloved hand reached out for the ruby fruit.  
  
"Hey guys!" Kenny whispered, nodding in Kai's direction.  
  
All of them turned to watch like explorers observing a wild animal.  
  
Different coloured eyes watched the strawberry move in slow motion until it disappeared into Kai's mouth.  
  
Mouths dropped open in awe and silence once again reigned over them until Ray dared to speak.  
  
"Um..you were saying?"  
  
*************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: Um, okay so that was strange but it was meant to show Kai beginning to respond after Tyson pleads with him. A little pointless but the next chapter is when it all begins.  
  
Thanks to: Tenma Koneko, Nancy's-little-Obsession, D. G., Syaoran-lover, Vialana, Timberwolf220, FlyinGshadoW1314, xXxBeccaxXx, B Girl, Child of the stars, dragona15, JadesRose, SilveryKitsune, Immortal Sadness, Mariana1, Techno Ranma, DragonBlade, and Skittles the Sugar Fairy. 


	4. Pictures

Mizu_Tenshi: Happy Christmas everyone! Sorry for the late chapter, I've never been this slow in updating before.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime  
  
******************  
  
Chapter Four - Pictures  
  
Everyone stared at each other and then at Kai, he looked back at them as if demanding to know why they found him so interesting.  
  
To occupy himself while waiting for an explanation Kai took another strawberry and popped it into his mouth, savouring the juicy taste.  
  
Tyson's jaw, which had been hanging open for a good five minutes, snapped shut. An idea struck him on the back of the neck, making his eyes light up.  
  
Without warning he grabbed Kai's wrist and dragged him into the kitchen.  
  
Kai, who would have normally freed himself from the fingers around his wrist found himself reluctantly following the excited navy haired teen.  
  
Tyson grinned at his own genius. Sitting Kai down on a wooden chair Tyson took his own seat on the opposite end of the table.  
  
Kai cast Tyson a quizzical look but all Tyson would do was grin even wider.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ray asked the question that Kai could not ask.  
  
"I'm a total genius!" Tyson declared proudly. "Just watch the master and learn."  
  
Taking a piece of plain paper and a black marker, he pushed the two objects to Kai's side of the table.  
  
"Okay Kai, this is what you do; draw something down and I've got to guess what you're saying," Tyson explained. "Kind of like charades but with pictures."  
  
"Or alternatively you can just ask him to write it down," Kenny said.  
  
Tyson pulled a face. "You're such a killjoy, chief! It's much more fun this way."  
  
"Well it'll certainly be interesting," Max admitted.  
  
They all turned, looking expectantly at Kai, who was just sitting staring as blankly as the piece of paper in front of him.  
  
"That is, if he'll pick up the pen," Ray said.  
  
"Come on, Kai," Tyson pleaded, unwittingly making the largest puppy dog eyes Kai had ever seen.  
  
Kai looked at Tyson and then at the pen but did not make a move to pick the black felt tip up.  
  
"Please? For me?"  
  
Kai made a face close to a sigh and reluctantly picked up the black felt and began drawing.  
  
"Yeah! I knew you'd come to your senses!" Tyson cheered.  
  
Once Kai had finished his art he picked it up for the others two see.  
  
The others all huddled around Tyson's chair to catch a glimpse of the rather well drawn pictures.  
  
There was a picture of a train plus the letters ing, a picture of the sun rising, and lastly the number two and a melon.  
  
"Training, sunrise," Tyson figured that much out but paused and frowned at the next part of the puzzle. "Two..melon?" he meekly guessed.  
  
"Two melons?" Ray pondered the meaning.  
  
"It's a marrow, melons aren't as long as marrow," Kenny said matter-of- factly.  
  
"Two marrow? Tomorrow!" Tyson cried joyfully, like a child celebrating getting their two times tables right.. "Tomorrow! Training at sun rise tomorrow..Kai!" Tyson yelled as realisation hit him.  
  
Kai smirked, which was pretty good progress for him, considering what he was acting like only moments before.  
  
"Do another one! Do another one!" Max bounced around happily.  
  
"Yeah Kai, let's see if the others can get one," Tyson agreed, unable to suppress the grin that overtook his face.  
  
Kai complied automatically, scribbling furiously before showing his new set of pictures to the others.  
  
"That's easy," Kenny stated a little smugly. "He wants us to make sure our blades our upgraded."  
  
"Everything's easy to you!" Max scoffed. "Why don't give us a chance?"  
  
Kai rolled his eyes and scribbled one last set of pictures.  
  
"Goat, two, bed. Go to bed!" Max bounced around, happy that he had figured one out. "Do another one!"  
  
"I think he means what he draws," Kenny said, "maybe we should go to bed."  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
It was like a sudden ray of light piercing the blackness that clouded my mind, that glimmer of comfort in a sea of faceless people.  
  
That's what it felt like when I began to react. I don't think it was the psychiatrist; I've never believed in shrinks. It was something else that pulled me out of my trance-like state. Something else...someone else.  
  
I didn't quite know what Biovolt had really done to me. Sometimes I felt like slipping back into the hollow state I had been in before. Sometimes I thought I saw things that weren't really there.  
  
I would never say a thing to the others even if I could talk.  
  
It felt strange not having a voice; not that I used it much before. No matter how I tried it just wouldn't come and it infuriated me beyond belief that I could not do such a simple thing.  
  
I tossed and turned around my selected spot on the dojo floor, creasing the sheets horribly.  
  
Those childish games had kept me occupied for a while but now I had nothing to take my mind of the darkness that lurked at the back of my consciousness.  
  
'Nightmares are for children' I told myself but those haunting memories came back even when my eyes were wide open, just as it had been when I had been strapped down to that hideous machine.  
  
I desperately tried to think of something else but it wasn't working.  
  
I clutched my head and curled up into a ball. I couldn't even scream as the images flashed around my head making me feel nauseous.  
  
Blood. There was blood everywhere and people screaming, people crying in vain, people moaning in agony and all around them there was the stench of death. It was so real I could smell it and almost gagged.  
  
It was horrible. There was that same light like a candle burning but the flame was black and it enveloped everything in darkness, devouring the light the way a real candle devours the oxygen around it.  
  
Apparently, it was not just muteness Biovolt had inflicted on me. I could live without speaking but this was serious, much more serious.  
  
"Kai?..Kai..KAI!"  
  
Then the images had vanished and I suddenly became aware of where I was.  
  
The inky fog abated again and I found myself staring right into Tyson's blue eyes.  
  
I wanted to hug him right there and then. He had just stopped me from going mad but a hug probably would have scared the life out of him.  
  
"You were having a nightmare, are you okay?"  
  
I don't know why but I suddenly felt very...exposed. I sat up, pushing him away at the same time but I immediately regretted it when I saw the hurt expression on his face.  
  
Was I crazy? He had just saved me and I was pushing him away?  
  
"Do you want to talk, I mean draw, it?" Tyson offered kindly.  
  
I shook my head, wishing he'd just go back to sleep.  
  
"Kai, who did this to you in the first place?" Tyson demanded. "The doctor said you were caught in an explosion."  
  
Good old Tyson was being so righteous. He's always looking out for me even when I never needed or wanted his help.  
  
I looked away from him, resting my gaze upon the floor.  
  
Tyson frowned and stared intensely at me, as if reading my mind he said, "It was Biovolt wasn't it?"  
  
I looked up in surprise. How did he know? No one could ever know.  
  
"Please, I've seen enough of Biovolt in Russia to know that this is the sort of thing they would do."  
  
Tyson turned to look outside. "Hey, it's snowing! You remember the last time it snowed, didn't you?"  
  
I didn't answer. Tyson stood up and opened the door, allowing a gush of freezing wind to rush in. I glared at his back.  
  
'You'll get a cold!' I wanted to say but I couldn't.  
  
"It's okay," Tyson said, as if reading my thoughts. "C'mon, you never got to join us before so come on!"  
  
I didn't move. Tyson moved outside and began to twirl in the freezing snow.  
  
I don't know. I've always been the one to protect myself; I learnt that in Biovolt that you have to be strong in order to survive.  
  
Yet after I lost my voice I began to think whet if it was worse than that? What if I had went blind or deaf of both instead? Who would I rely upon then?  
  
Looking out on the snow-globe world outside just listening to Tyson's musical laughter made me feel...safe.  
  
*************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: Short, I know, but I'm sick so my mind isn't exactly here today. Please toss me a review; it'll give me something to read while I'm locked inside with a bottle of cough medicine and hot water bottle.  
  
Thanks to: Jenny N, Nancys-little-Obesession, DragonBlade, hyperactive- frogchild, JadesRose, Child of the Stars, TYDYE girl, Skittles the Sugar Fairy, cobie, Timberwolf220, SilveryKitsune, D.G., Yuko Samari, Vialana, Matty TysonKai rulz, Frostt, Bimbo-blonde, Immortal Sadness, xXxCeRuLeAn- x'SxXx, Kaiiko-chan, TechnoRanma, Syaoran-lover, Kurai Kaiba, kayanna, Kiina, 


	5. Footsteps

Mizu_Tenshi: I'm so sorry for the late update, I haven't been able to write much because I'm back to school and my SATS are coming up. For you who have been asking when the TyKa will appear it's due next chapter.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime  
  
******************  
  
Chapter Five - Footsteps  
  
Kai's watch beeped as the neon digits turned to seven o'clock. A hand ran through tousled slate blue hair before planting itself on the wooden floor and heaving a sleepy, cumbersome body into a sitting position.  
  
The nightmares had come but not as vivid as they usually were. Still, the images were enough to form tired lines around Kai's crimson eyes.  
  
Besides him, Tyson yawned. The other mattresses next to them were all empty, indicating that the others had already risen.  
  
"Morning, had a nice sleep?" Tyson greeted Kai with a friendly smile.  
  
Kai made no gesture towards Tyson to indicate anything he had heard but he rose, stretching and yawning as Kenny strode in.  
  
"Get ready Tyson, the psychiatrist is coming," Kenny said sternly, not even glancing at Kai who was standing near Tyson.  
  
Kai rolled his eyes at the news of his appointment and Tyson, sensing Kai's dread placed a comforting hand on the older boy's shoulder.  
  
"I know, I know, but hey, you can show her the progress you've made," he said optimistically.  
  
Kai rolled his eyes again, it seemed to be becoming his favourite gesture, then to add some emphasis onto his attitude towards his shrink, huffed.  
  
Tyson could not help let a small smile slip as Kai pouted. He looked, though rather unwittingly, adorable. "After the shrink's gone do you want to play more picture games?"  
  
Kai rolled his eyes yet again but this time with a look of boredom on his face.  
  
"You keep rolling those eyes and they're gonna roll right off your face," Tyson warned. "Well then what do you want to do?"  
  
Kai did not roll his eyes this time. He searched his pockets for something unknown, finally producing the blue blade that Tyson had not seen ever since the accident.  
  
"Kai! No!"  
  
"What's up?" Kenny asked, not understanding Kai's intention.  
  
"Kai's wants to train," Tyson said sourly.  
  
"Kai, you shouldn't train in your condition," Kenny said seriously much to Tyson's triumph. "On the other hand, we could use the practice, if Kai takes it easy," the chief added.  
  
"Chief, no! Don't push Kai too hard!" Tyson cried, desperately holding onto Kai as if he were his life line.  
  
"Yeah right, Tyson, you just don't want to train," Kenny snorted.  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Tyson feigned a look of shock.  
  
"Ray and Max have gone to get the groceries but they'll be back soon," Kenny informed them, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe you two should...err...let go of each other?"  
  
Tyson suddenly realised he was still holding onto Kai's torso, which came as a bit of a shock but what was even more surprising was that Kai had not pushed him away.  
  
Tyson let go as if Kai's skin was on fire, burning him if he touched the crimson-eyed boy. In fact, Tyson's cheeks were already burning from the touch while Kai's cheeks were a more discreet tinge of pink.  
  
Kenny coughed uncomfortably, made a quick mumbled excuse and walked away. Tyson did not even hear what Kenny's excuse was, he was too busy trying to settle some rather disturbing thought swirling through his head.  
  
~  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
Sometimes I just want to strangle that damn psychiatrist. I won't respond to a single thing she says and it annoys her to no end but I just can't stand shrinks and the way they get into your head and crawl around looking at things that are none of their business.  
  
However, after that episode when Tyson was holding me my brain was a little zoned out and she managed to worm some reaction out of me. Damn shrink.  
  
"Well, Kai, you're doing well, keep it up and we may be able to restore your voice," she said in a cheerful tone.  
  
That was a lie and we both knew it. I'm not going to get my voice back and I'm not making progress. If I was then why do those flashing images have to pop up every so often?  
  
It felt like an eternity before she packed away her things and drove away. I was celebrating her departure when the party was cut short by another image, it was just a short flash but it brought back all the pain attached to the picture reopening scars of the past I thought I had buried years ago.  
  
I grabbed my head. The pain was terrible. I remember the whips lashing at my body, the tongues of fire threatening to devour me, the darkened corridors of the abbey as I walked down them during midnight.  
  
I look around frantically. Nobody saw that? Good. If anyone saw me I think I would have died right there.  
  
Shaking myself, I regained my composure as best as possible. I just hoped that those images would not come back while I was training, not in front of my team, now that would be embarrassing.  
  
What would they think if they saw me break down? Would they treat me like some kind of freak? Tyson would never do that, would he?  
  
I mentally slapped myself for thinking about it and proceeded to where the rest of my team would be undoubtedly waiting.  
  
"He's here, finally," I heard Tyson huff.  
  
Damn, I must be getting rusty. I was sure that I was moving as silently as possible so that I could sneak up on them the way I usually do.  
  
I joined the team just outside the dojo. Ray and Max were back and ready to blade, Kenny was sitting on the dojo steps with Dizzi, as usual, and Tyson was looking a little reluctant.  
  
"So, Kai, you really want to train?" Max asked cheerfully.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Great," Ray smiled, flashing his feline fangs at me. "So how about it? You and me first?"  
  
I nodded again.  
  
I would be lying if I said that I wasn't a little bit worried about the whole beyblading thing but it was important to get return to my normal routine as soon as possible. Besides, just because I couldn't speak was no reason to give up on it.  
  
Of course, I knew that more had happened to me than just loosing my voice and, from the look on Tyson's face, I think that he knew too.  
  
Max was the referee. He stood with his hands raised shouting, "are you ready? Three...two...one! Let it rip!"  
  
I pulled furiously at the rip cord and Dranzer flew to the ground. I still hadn't lost my technique; that was good.  
  
Our blades clashed together in a fury of sparks. It felt good to be back to blading.  
  
They chased each other and collided with each other, neither one of us gaining the upper-hand as they danced across the ground.  
  
Ray tore his eyes of our blades to smile at me again, I recognised that wry smile he always shot at his opponents whenever he could sense victory.  
  
"Great game but I think it's time to end it," he said confidently. "Drigger! Tiger claw attack!"  
  
I gritted my teeth in frustration. I knew I couldn't call for Dranzer's aid the way I used to but I balled my fists and concentrated, mentally calling for Dranzer to rise up and defend itself.  
  
That was a mistake really.  
  
Dranzer emerged from my blade but it looked different, it had a faint tinge of grey.  
  
To my horror, I saw it transform in front of my eyes to black Dranzer.  
  
I glanced at the others but they all were watching the battle intently. I wanted to shout at them and ask them if they were blind. Why couldn't they see what was happening to Dranzer?  
  
As much as I hated it, I couldn't help but rub my forehead in agitation. I inwardly groaned, why now? Why did those images have to haunt me at the most inconvenient times?  
  
Those flashing images swirled faster and faster. I could feel curious eyes on me and I hated it. I wanted it to stop yet the unrelenting pictures and thoughts just whirled around faster inside my head.  
  
My past flashed through my head and I didn't see one single happy moment. It looked as if I was born in a sea of tears, brought up surrounded by blood and screams, living in darkness my whole life. I felt the hate all around me, and I recoiled from it.  
  
Everything was a blur. I don't even know what happened next but I felt myself falling, literally falling.  
  
Ray moved forward to catch me...but Tyson got there first and we both slowly sank to the ground together.  
  
That's about it.  
  
~  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
I knew something was wrong the moment Kai's blade touched the ground.  
  
I tried to push away the worry, after all the battle was really good and even I couldn't deny that. Kai had not lost any of his skill after the accident though. It felt oddly proud at the way he battled.  
  
"Great game but I think it's time to end it," Ray said, giving Kai his victory smile. "Drigger! Tiger claw attack!"  
  
I watched with anticipation as Drigger emerged from Ray's blade. The tiger lifted a powerful claw and brought it smashing down on Kai's blade.  
  
The blue blade wobbled but, miraculously, it did not stop.  
  
I cast a glance at Kai. He looked a little sick, he was definitely a lot paler than usual.  
  
Max had noticed it too, he was gently repeating Kai's name but I don't think that Kai could hear him while Ray was casting him odd looks.  
  
Crimson eyes were screwed up tight in pain and then...he fell.  
  
A look of alarm crossed Ray's face as he moved to catch him but I got there first. I pressed his body close to mine and slowly sank to the ground.  
  
My suspicions were confirmed. Biovolt had done more than just take Kai's voice, they had also unleashed something terrible inside Kai's head, one of the few places where I could not help him.  
  
"Kai!" Max cried in alarm. Everyone huddled round him until Kenny told them to back off and let Kai breath.  
  
"Kai, buddy, you okay?" Ray asked though it was quite obvious that he was not.  
  
The unconscious from of Kai lay still, his head in my lap. Bold blue triangles stood out against his creamy skin. His eyes were closed as if he was merely having a peaceful sleep.  
  
"I don't get it, it's just his voice so why is he freaking out on us?" Max said, of course he didn't know what I did.  
  
"It doesn't make any sense," Ray murmured in agreement.  
  
I chose not to say anything. Maybe I would reveal to them what Biovolt had done when the time was right.  
  
I used to think Kai was like stone; so strong and powerful but emotionless and uncaring, but now he was like crystal; kinder and more open despite being mute but also a lot more fragile than before.  
  
"I don't understand, for once in my life I don't understand why this is happening," Kenny shook his head sadly.  
  
"Come on, let's get him inside," Ray suggested, helping me lift Kai and take him indoors.  
  
I let Kai lie in my bed rather than on the dojo floor where we all usually slept. UI had offered to watch over him but I had, albeit grudgingly, let Max take up that position.  
  
"What if he never blades again?" Ray asked despondently.  
  
"Don't say that, of course he'll blade again," I hissed fiercely but my heart wasn't into my words. "I just wish I knew how to make things better."  
  
The chief adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. I turned towards him curiously as a small smile passed his lips. "I think I know," he said smugly  
  
"You do?" I looked at the bespectacled boy ludicrously.  
  
"Yeah, I remember once ages ago, Robert told me about this place in Germany, it's a leading psychiatric hospital - "  
  
"You want to send him to a cuckoo house?!" Ray interrupted, this time he was the one looking shocked.  
  
"No!" Kenny waved his hands innocently. "I mean, they might be able to help Kai, pin point the problem if you know what I mean. They're helped people cope with being mute before. Some people even regain their speech."  
  
"How do they regain their speech?"  
  
"Well when someone is traumatised and becomes mute their brain kind of blocks the pathways to speech. It's a simple matter of unclogging those paths," Kenny explained  
  
"That's it?"  
  
"I don't really believe in shrinks but it could work," Ray admitted. "Maybe we should ask Kai."  
  
I shook my head. I wasn't the only one who could see the problem there. Kai would never accept help of any kind.  
  
"Why don't you talk to him?" Kenny suggested.  
  
I took a step back. "Why me?"  
  
Kenny rolled his eyes, with a look I had seen on Kai's face so many times. "Please, don't think we're blind Tyson, you know what Kai's going to say or how he feels just by looking at him, you can tell when he's coming just by sensing him, you spend ages alone with him trying to help him with those picture games. You're closer to him than anyone else!"  
  
I felt a blush prickle my cheeks. The chief just had to put it like that, didn't he? "Okay I get your point," I mumbled.  
  
As if on cue, Max opened the door to my room and pocked his head round. "Hey, he's awake," he quietly informed us.  
  
"Great, then you can tell him," Ray smiled, pushing me towards the room.  
  
"Tell him what?" Max asked.  
  
"Just something to help his voice," I briefly explained.  
  
"Oh," Max said faintly. He looked at me in a strange way but I shrugged it off.  
  
The closed the door behind me, leaving me alone in a room with just Kai and a bunch of anime posters.  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
My eyes fluttered open, it took a while for my vision to clear but when it did I found myself staring up into the friendly face of Max.  
  
I was in Tyson's room, I realised, but Tyson was no where to be seen. Did he really catch me? I swear I felt those comforting arms around me but maybe it was just a dream.  
  
Then another thought passed through my mind. I fainted in front of the whole team? How embarrassing!  
  
"Kai? How are you feeling?"  
  
I looked around the room. Max understood what I was trying to say and passed me some paper and a pen from Tyson's desk.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked again.  
  
I wrote on the paper the word, 'peachy,' letting all my sarcasm flow in the paper.  
  
Max smiled.  
  
I crossed out the word and wrote, 'where's Tyson?' I don't even know why I asked that question but it seemed important for some reason.  
  
"Outside talking to Ray and Kenny," Max replied. "Is there something important you need to tell Tyson? I could pass on a massage," he offered.  
  
I shook my head and Max smiled again. His smile was beginning to annoy me, like he knew something and wasn't telling me.  
  
"Did you know that Tyson always watches you?" Max said out of the blue. "Maybe you don't notice it but you two seem to always know what the other's intention is."  
  
I cocked my head to the side. Where was this coming from?  
  
"Before you an Tyson used to fight like cats and dogs. I know what you used to think of him but what abut now?"  
  
'Tyson is certainly friendly,' I admitted. I didn't know what else to say, or rather to write. He was strong as well. Much stronger than I ever was or could ever be.  
  
"Tyson told me once waaaay before this whole thing that you were an arrogant, anti-social jerk, but he was lying, he think that you...never mind," Max shook his head.  
  
'Where is this conversation going?' I wrote.  
  
Max giggled. "I'll tell the other's that you've woke up."  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
Kai was sitting up in my bed. His hair fell over his creamy shoulders, framing a perfect face.  
  
I gulped, "Kai."  
  
He looked at me then scribbled something on a piece of paper.  
  
'Go away' it said.  
  
I was slightly hurt but I knew Kai well enough to read the intention behind his words. He was only pushing me away because he was afraid of looking weak.  
  
I would never think of him as weak and I wished that I could tell Kai that. He had been through so much in his life and still came out moderately sane. He was much stronger than I was.  
  
"What's that? I can't read," I smiled, scratching my head stupidly. "I think it says, 'please come in'"  
  
'Don't be stupid,' Kai wrote.  
  
"Don't go? Okay then, I won't" I smiled at the look of annoyance on Kai's face.  
  
Kai screwed up the paper and chucked it away. He must have realised that a conversation with me was inevitable.  
  
Putting on a serious face, I sat on the bed next to him.  
  
There was a place in Germany that could help him. It was one of the best in the world yet I wasn't sure how Kai would take it if I told him about it.  
  
I felt reluctant to tell him about it. I didn't want him to go somewhere where I couldn't watch over him, couldn't make sure he was okay and I surprised myself at the thought. I've always been very protective of my friends but this was something else, something deeper.  
  
I was being selfish but I didn't want him to go.  
  
I touched his hand, hoping to give him what little comfort I could. Kai flinched but did not push away.  
  
I think loosing his voice had created a bond between us. It was nothing you could outwardly see but it was there.  
  
"Kai, Biovolt did more than just make you loose your voice, didn't it?"  
  
Kai nodded slowly.  
  
"What do you see? What is it that goes through your head?" I asked.  
  
Kai looked away but I gently reached out, tilting his chin towards me with two fingers.  
  
Our eyes locked and I instantly knew what it was he saw. I saw it in his eyes, behind the screen of impassiveness he usually puts on for show I saw the years of torment and punishments he had gone through and I shuddered at the thought of re-living every punishment, hearing every biting word all over again.  
  
I should have been so angry at what Biovolt had done. They treated Kai like a toy. He was not something they could experiment with; he was not something that they could throw away whenever they felt like it but the look in Kai's face took away all my fury leaving me strangely empty yet calm.  
  
I had never been this close to him, it made my heart beat at an alarming rate as I battled back some rather disturbing thoughts.  
  
"Um, excuse me," I said quickly and practically ran out of the room, slamming the door behind me.  
  
I was so relieved that the others had drifted off somewhere but I also felt guilty for running out like that. What was wrong with me?  
  
I shook my head, there was something I had to do, something I was set on.  
  
Call me crazy but my mind was set, for Kai, I was going to have my revenge on Biovolt.  
  
*************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: I know it's short and a little pointless. I blame everything on my SATS. Death to government tests! I swear the next chapter will be full of TyaKa. Definite, 100% guarantee of TyKa next chapter.  
  
Thanks to: Amara, Lychee fairy, ShadowDragon22, Nancy's-little-obsession, anomynous, Jenny N, Firekali, Syaoran-lover, DragonBlade, Kai-Hiwatari- Eriol, bimbo-blonde, Nanashi2, Frostt, kawaii-kirei, Skittles the Sugar Fairy, Malik the Shadow Chao, Timberwolf220, Kiina, TechnoRanma, Yuko Samari, Miriana1, Matty_TysonKai rulz, SilveryKitsune, TYDE girl, Feeling Glayish, Vialana, Immortal Sadness. 


	6. Tears

Mizu_Tenshi: Well I promised you some action so I guess I have to deliver.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime  
  
******************  
  
Chapter Six - Tears  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
I was up and walking by lunchtime. I didn't really see what all the fuss was about staying in bed.  
  
Plus, I was confused. Why did Tyson bolt off like that? Whenever he was near my heart seemed to beat more than what was normal and it usually made me feel uncomfortable. Was that the same with Tyson?  
  
I was determined to find him and put a stop to all of this.  
  
Everyone seemed to have gone from the dojo.  
  
Typical, once the captain's down they all slack off somewhere. Well, I couldn't exactly complain since I wasn't doing any work either; I was looking for Tyson.  
  
I systematically went through all the places he could have gone - the docks, the beach, the market or maybe the woods if he wanted to clear his head.  
  
So, I set out, it was my first time going out since the accident but as long as I didn't freak out in the middle of the street I would be fine.  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
I ran on, I'm sure I heard about a Biovolt branch around here somewhere though I wasn't entirely sure where.  
  
I was determined to find it as quickly as possible before my senses came back to remind me how impulsive I was being.  
  
Biovolt was a large mansion; pretty innocent looking, it seemed like one of those mansions any wealthy business man could own but I knew that behind those walls unspeakable experiments were conducted.  
  
With my faithful Dragoon clutched in one hand and my launcher in the other I ran across the grounds ready to wreck as much havoc as I could.  
  
The large stone walls towered over me as I approached. I was surprised I had even made it to the door without tripping over one of those silent alarms.  
  
The door was heavily locked but that was not a problem for Dragoon. Pulling the ripcord as hard as I could, Dragoon smashed into the large door, shattering it into pieces.  
  
That's when the alarms began to wail like a flock of alarmed crows screeching out into the air.  
  
Well I wasn't going to let them catch me so I ran. I had no idea where I was going as I entered the labyrinth of passages and glum stone corridors. I just wanted to destroy as much as I could.  
  
The passages were lined with labs. I entered each one, systematically destroying everything as I went along. I could hear the panic rising and the hundreds of frantic feet scurrying like rats in their own nest.  
  
A couple of test tubes were destroyed, scientific equipment, computers, cameras - none of it was spared.  
  
I think I would have destroyed the entire building if the sound of footsteps very close to me had not alerted me and brought me back to myself.  
  
Dashing out of the destroyed rooms, I ran back for the exit. I heard someone behind me yell but I didn't bother to look back. I could hear the footsteps coming after me and that was enough to spur me on.  
  
Even as I raced through the market I was gripped with paranoia. I was sure someone was quietly stalking me, someone from Biovolt had followed me all this way.  
  
I ran on and on, never stopping to look back in case my stalker decided to attack.  
  
Finally, I came to a stop near the woods, I would be safe here. I didn't think that they had followed me this far.  
  
I collapsed to the ground in an exhausted heap. My hand was bleeding profusely and I had to get home and bandage it.  
  
A sudden shuffling made me spin round. There was something in the bushes besides me! I scrambled to my feet shouting, "who's there?"  
  
The bushes parted and to my relief a familiar face appeared.  
  
"Kai," I breathed. "Thank God, what are you doing here?"  
  
Kai frowned and I instantly knew that those footsteps I had heard had been his. He had been following me and he knew exactly what I had done.  
  
I felt a little guilty for not telling him my plans but before I could apologise he turned around and walked away.  
  
"H-hey, Kai! Wait up!" I cried, chasing after him.  
  
~  
  
His pace had slowed down as we approached the dojo, allowing me to walk besides him in silence.  
  
I sat on my bed and Kai disappeared into the bathroom. He was still not talking to me.  
  
When he came back he had a first aid kit in hand yet he was still frowning.  
  
"I - I was doing it for you," I protested. His hard gaze made me feel like a naughty toddler. "Biovolt had to be punished for what they did to you!"  
  
His frowned deepened as he produced a piece of paper and a pen that he always kept in his pocket besides Dranzer and began writing.  
  
'What about me? Don't you think that I wanted to get my revenge personally?' It said.  
  
I fingered it uncomfortably. "I didn't think of it that way," I blushed.  
  
Kai took the paper off me and wrote something else. 'No you just didn't think,' he scribbled onto paper and passed it to me.  
  
"I'm sorry," I apologised and Kai rolled his eyes.  
  
A moment of silence passed between us before he took a seat next to me on the bed, grabbed my hand and inspected it. I stared agape at what he was doing then he slowly began to bandage my wound.  
  
His hands worked mechanically, winding the white cloth around my hand finally tying it in a tight bow and my eyes were transfixed on how gently his hands were working.  
  
"Thanks," I said appreciatively but he just sniffed airily, I guess he was still mad at me.  
  
I shuffled uncomfortably in the silence; the fact that we were so close made my insides squirm.  
  
"Look, I really am sorry, it's just that I want to get revenge because - " I stopped. Because what? Because Kai was a great friend and I didn't want to see him hurt.  
  
Huh, yeah right, I would do anything for my friends but usually my heart did not pound so much. I had never felt as angry as I did when I broke into Biovolt. I asked myself why I felt so confused but I received no answer.  
  
Besides me, Kai had sunk into a similar brooding state. I wondered what he could possibly be thinking about but I felt reluctant to pry.  
  
"Kai," I drew in a deep breath, not sure how to introduce my proposal. "Kai, the chief told me about this place in Germany, it's a psychiatric hospital they could help you."  
  
Kai narrowed his eyes dangerously and I could practically feel myself walking over wafer thin ice.  
  
"The people there are supposed to be the best in the world, they could really help you. Don't you want that? Don't you want to stop those things inside your head and get your voice back?"  
  
Kai turned away from me, I could tell how reluctant he was to accept any help, especially from a bunch of strangers.  
  
"What about me? What about the team?" I continued. I was gaining ground on him with each word I uttered. "You know how much it hurts for us to see you in pain. We want those things in your head to get out as much as you do," I tried to keep my composure. I didn't want him to go but I wanted him to stop having nightmares. I took a deep breath. "You should go there," I said.  
  
Everything about Kai screamed in defiance. I could see it on his eyes, read it in his body language, I knew he would say no and I was torn between feelings to relief and feelings of despondency.  
  
In those situations where there are two choices: the right choice and the wrong choice, people often choose the wrong choice not because they weren't sure which was which but because it was just too hard to make the right decision.  
  
There were two things I could have done. Two possibilities. I knew what I had to do. It was hard but I made the right choice.  
  
"Kai...please," I begged, giving him the most adorable puppy-dog look I could conjure up.  
  
Something hot and wet splashed onto my cheeks.  
  
I tentatively touched it, glowing red with embarrassment as more tears ran down my cheeks.  
  
I hurriedly wiped them away; wishing the ground would just swallow me up but for every tear I wiped away ten more seemed to appear.  
  
'No, not in front of Kai, please,' I silently begged. What was he thinking of me now? Seeing those shameful tears fall? I was weak and he knew it.  
  
Why wouldn't the tears stop? Why was I so upset anyway?  
  
I guess because I cared about Kai too much, because I was having these strange thoughts and they confused me. Maybe I was crying because I was feeling lost in a muddle of emotions I wasn't used to.  
  
Kai cocked his head in confusion, not really understanding why I was crying either.  
  
There was no use hiding them so I let them fall, cringing as each one fell.  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
I could never understand tears. All my life, tears were seen as something weak but that was what Boris had taught me and Boris is always wrong.  
  
Tears were a symbol of strength; you have to be strong to be able to cry, that was why I was so weak, I could not shed even one measly tear.  
  
I wanted to know why Tyson was crying. I had obviously upset him but he of all people should know that I'm as stubborn as he is.  
  
I felt a deep pit of guilt rising to my throat. I had made him cry and I hated myself for it. If he wanted me to go so badly I would have been out that door like a lightening bolt but he shook his head, saying that it wasn't me.  
  
'Then who?' I wondered. I guess that knowing didn't really matter, what was important was helping Tyson.  
  
Ironic, isn't it? Here he is, trying to help me when he's got just about as many problems as I do.  
  
Now I'm not one for getting all mushy but I know that when people are upset they cry and when people cry they should be comforted so I placed a rather shaky hand on his shoulder.  
  
I felt a wave of electricity spark off at our touch.  
  
Our eyes were locked, I stared so deeply into those pools of blue that I thought I'd drown in them.  
  
My heart was racing, thoughts flashed through my head but not the nightmarish ones I usually got but pleasant images and thoughts and before I knew it, I was only a few inches away from Tyson.  
  
I think I must have known all along that I was closer to Tyson than anyone else. Even when I pushed away he followed me as if there was some kind of red string attached to us, stopping us from ever parting.  
  
"Kai, I - "  
  
I silenced him gently. My heart was still beating, there was something I wanted to do, something I think I had wanted to do ever since I had met him but I didn't have the guts. I've always been weak.  
  
I could have written it down but words on paper felt so cheap, I didn't even think that speech convey what I was feeling.  
  
Some things just can't be touched, seen or even heard, some things have to be felt by the heart.  
  
'Well, here goes,' I told myself. It would be the first time communicating with the...heart. I wasn't sure if I could do it.  
  
I decided to just go for it, like hurtling across a cliff to either fly of fall.  
  
One hand took Tyson's bandaged one while the other was firmly planted on the bed.  
  
I caught one glance at Tyson before our lips met, brushing briefly before turning a butterfly kiss into a crushing one.  
  
It was amazing but what was even more surprising was that he didn't push me away, that he was actually kissing me back.  
  
The feeling was more than words could say and I knew that everything would be fine from now on even if I didn't have my voice.  
  
There was no need for words.  
  
************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: Sappy, yes, but you can't blame me, I was listening to 'Meteor Rain' by F4 when I wrote this and it affected my brain. I'm not good at kissing scenes, my romance tends to be mostly subtle hints but I guess it could have been worse. Oh, and that's not the end either, there's still some more to come. So, anyone who wants Kai to get his voice back, raise your hand.  
  
Thanks to: Rumi-chan, ShadowDragon22, kayanna, Kaiiko-chan, Skittles the Sugar Fairy, TechnoRanma, Nancy's-little-Obsession, Lychee Fairy, Matty TysonKai rulz, Kiina, SilveryKitsune, Syaoran-lover, Mariana1, Othela, xXxCeRuLeAn-x'SxXx, Cherrii, DragonBlade, Kawii Angel, D. G., Kalico, Amara, JadesRose, Eng~Lang, CCPhoenix, and Timberwolf220 


	7. Revenge

Mizu_Tenshi: Looks like almost everyone voted for Kai to get his voice back so he will but not just yet.  
  
"..." Speech '...' Thought *...* Implied words  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own this anime  
  
******************  
  
Chapter 7 - Revenge  
  
"Kill them!" Boris yelled in a fit of anger.  
  
"Sir?" one his scientists in a white lab coat slowly backed away from the fury of Boris.  
  
The purple-haired man stood in the midst of the wreckage, surveying the destruction dealt by a single teenage boy with cold fury.  
  
"I don't care how, just kill that meddling brat and all his friends," Boris ordered, "no one messes with Biovolt and gets away with it!"  
  
"What about Kai, sir? He's one of our test subjects," the scientist meekly reminded the fuming man.  
  
For a brief second, Boris seemed to calm down and think but quickly returned to his original state. "Bring him to me but the rest you may eliminate," he barked. "Now!"  
  
"Yes sir," the scientist bowed low and scurried away to inform the right people.  
  
~  
  
(Tyson's POV)  
  
"Dinner's ready!" Ray cried from the kitchen then stepped aside as I raced in and deposited myself on the seat.  
  
Naturally I was the first at the table with Kai slowly trailing behind me. He took a seat opposite me and began to calmly eat the food on the table while I bolted mine down in the usual manner.  
  
The food tasted great but not as great as Kai. I wondered what he thought about our unusual...chemistry.  
  
He was the one who kissed me so he had to like me, right? It could not have just been a spur of the moment thing, could it?  
  
After we broke off I saw that look in his eyes, something that surpassed friendship.  
  
I've never been too clear on how I viewed Kai. When we fist met he was an enemy I was to battle, then he became a captain and friend though he refused to accept my friendship, slowly he opened up and we experienced true friendship but now....  
  
Now I think I know why he always used to plague my thoughts, why I unwittingly kept seeking him out, why I never backed down when he pushed away.  
  
A kiss can unlock things that you never really knew about yourself. A kiss is magic.  
  
"Wow, you've outdone yourself again, Ray!" I complimented. Ray's cooking is the best, I've tasted food in restaurants that weren't as good as his dishes.  
  
"Thank you Tyson, glad you like it," Ray bowed appreciatively as Max and Kenny soon joined us at the table.  
  
"Let's eat!" Max cried. It was kind of like a tradition for him to yell out ' let's eat!' before every dinner even if he was the only one eating he'd still yell it out.  
  
"This is delicious! What do you think, Kai?" I asked and Kai made the thumbs-up sign.  
  
"See? Even Kai likes you're cooking, you should become a chef or something," I said, though I was slightly exaggerating.  
  
"Quit it, Tyson, patronising me won't get you a second helping," Ray said as he too sat down for dinner. Damn! He knows me too well!  
  
"Hey, how did you do that, Tyson?" Max asked.  
  
"Do what?" I said, tilting my head to the side.  
  
"How did you get that cut?" Max pointed to my bloodstained bandage.  
  
"Oh that!" I glanced down at the bandage Kai had securely tied for me. "Don't worry, it's nothing, Kai bandaged it up for me and I'll be able to take it off soon," I assured him.  
  
Max was really puzzled at that. He turned to Kai but he was ignoring everything around him yet again.  
  
I looked at him and smiled, remembering that it was the bandage that led to an event I think I'll remember forever.  
  
"Um...am I missing something?" Ray asked.  
  
"Nothing at all," I replied with a faint smile on my lips as I submerged myself in memories.  
  
The three bladers glanced at each other questioningly but I had no intention of divulging my little secret. That was strictly between Kai and me.  
  
"Well anyway," Kenny broke the silence. "I think Kai should lay off training for a while but the rest of you should get back to work."  
  
"Well it had been a while since we did any serious training," Ray admitted.  
  
"I'm with you," Max agreed, "we don't want to get rusty after all."  
  
The rest of the meal was consumed in silence. As each one finished they stacked their plates in the sink to be done later and went outside until I was left with Kai.  
  
'What the hell am I supposed to do?' Kai's eyes were demanding. I had no time to marvel before at the way we seemed to understand each other's thoughts.  
  
Words were no longer necessary, heck, Kai didn't even have to carry around any paper anymore as long as I was there to translate to the others.  
  
"You can watch us," I offered. "I'm sure you'll find flaws in our training."  
  
Kai rolled his eyes, meaning; 'That's so boring.'  
  
"Then why don't you go to sleep when we train?" I suggested.  
  
Kai looked down at the floor. He usually did that when he felt embarrassed or guilty.  
  
My eyes widened. "You do?"  
  
Kai smiled a rare smile, which almost knocked me off of my feet. I know he had changed ever since loosing his voice but this is still Kai we're talking about!  
  
Before I could react he walked out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with the dirty dishes.  
  
"H- hey now hold on!" I chased after him. "Kai!"  
  
(Kai's POV)  
  
I've changed since loosing my voice. For a start, I use a lot more body language than before, before my stance was dominating but now I need to express a whole range of feelings.  
  
Feelings...that's something that has also changed. I'm beginning to feel more than just anger and pain and my face is no longer as impassive and cold as it used to be.  
  
Maybe loosing my voice was a blessing but then I think about those images that still haunt me and I begin to hate not having my voice.  
  
After certain events I shared with Tyson I think I finally understand something I was never able to comprehend before. I think I'm beginning to understand what 'heart' is and it's all thanks to Tyson.  
  
I want another magical moment. I want to make sure that one kiss was not a one-off thing.  
  
As I walked out I thought I saw something behind the walls of the dojo. I hoped that it wasn't those images coming back to haunt me. I didn't like the idea of freaking out every time someone was about to blade.  
  
"What's up, Kai?" Tyson asked as he came out.  
  
I shook my head. 'Nothing, it's nothing.'  
  
"We'll have to talk about this later," Tyson whispered. He knows how to read me too well now.  
  
"C'mon Tyson!" Max, who was already waiting by the dish, yelled.  
  
"Are you ready?" Ray was refereeing.  
  
I took a seat near Kenny and closed my eyes, only using my ears to listen to the familiar spin of the blades and the sharp screech as they clashed together.  
  
Something caught my eye. I could swear I saw that thing again. Everyone else was too busy to notice but I was certain that I saw something by the dojo wall.  
  
Rising quietly, I slunk in the shadows and crept by the wall but there was nothing there.  
  
I began to systematically search the walls, unwittingly carrying myself further and further away from the others though I was still technically inside the dojo grounds.  
  
I was at the back of the dojo before I decided to go back to the others, that is until I heard a rustling too loud to be the wind.  
  
I picked up a stone and threw it at the bushes hoping for an "ow!" or some colourful cursing to emerge from them.  
  
When there came no reply I took a step forward, curiously trying to peek through the shrubbery without getting too close.  
  
That's when I saw it again - a flicker of something moving in the shadows.  
  
I rubbed my head in case it had all been in my mind; it was hurting after all, it felt worse than any migraine I ever had until I was staggering about blind with pain.  
  
I felt the prickly leaves of the bushes dig into my skin as I blundered into them and saw the whole world spin before my eyes.  
  
Why does my mind have to be so messed up? What did I do to deserve this? Oh yeah, I'm tainted aren't I? Maybe it was my fault I became the way I was, the way I am now.  
  
I really hoped that Tyson didn't like Azaleas 'cause I almost fell onto them. I steadied myself as the world returned to normal, breathing heavily.  
  
Suddenly something lunged out from the shrubs. I took a quick step and it missed me and rolled across the grassy ground.  
  
A figure dressed from head to toe in black with only a pair of green eyes blazing, stood again and held something in front of him.  
  
It was a launcher but I was barely able to process this before he fired it at me with all the strength he could muster.  
  
I held a hand up to shield myself and drew a sharp breath as the jagged blade sliced my hand. I staggered backwards but when I looked back the mysterious figure had disappeared and if it was not for the cut across my hand I would have questioned the figure ever being there.  
  
Looking at my hand, which was dripping in the familiar crimson liquid, I decided to bandage it up before any annoying questions were asked.  
  
(Normal POV)  
  
"It's a tie!" Ray declared  
  
"Wow, good game Ty," Max shook Tyson's hand. Tyson smiled but he wasn't concentrating.  
  
"Where's Kai?" the blue-eyed boy asked, surveying the grounds of the dojo for the disappearing teen.  
  
"I think he must have wandered off during the match," Kenny said, "he probably got bored, I hope he hasn't tried to train again, not after what happened last time."  
  
"Let's go look for him, I don't think he'll have gone that far," Ray suggested.  
  
Tyson shook his head. It could have just been a foolish feeling but somehow he knew where Kai would be. "No need, I know where he is," he said, and walked back into the dojo  
  
"Tyson?" Ray called after him but Tyson had already entered the dojo. The three remaining Bladebreakers exchanged puzzled looks.  
  
"You two keep on training and I'll take care of Kai," Tyson yelled from within.  
  
The corridors were empty as Tyson softly padded across the wooden floors.  
  
"Kai," Tyson called. "Hello? Kai? You in here?"  
  
He cautiously poked his head round his room door to find Kai sitting with a first aid kit struggling with one hand to wrap his injured hand.  
  
"Kai? What happened?" Tyson asked.  
  
Kai grunted as he struggled with bandaging his own hand.  
  
Tyson took Kai's hand and inspected it carefully. "Who did this?" he demanded.  
  
Kai shrugged and removed his hand from Tyson's grip to try and bandage it again.  
  
"Let me," Tyson took Kai's hand again and began to wrap the dry material around his wound. "Heh, now it's my turn to bandage your wounds, ironic, huh?"  
  
Tyson tied the bandage and patted it. He held up his own bandaged hand.  
  
"Look, they're almost identical," he said, placing his bandaged hand against Kai's and entwining his fingers with Kai's.  
  
Kai looked calmly into the pools of blue. A strangely calm feeling washed over him as he stared into the infinite depths of the sky locked in two blue orbs.  
  
A pair of sharp green eyes watched them and immediately understood the invisible bond between them.  
  
"This will be interesting," the figure hissed gleefully.  
  
******************  
  
Mizu_Tenshi: What will happen now? I feel an end approaching. Most of my stories have around eleven chapters and I think this one will follow that pattern. Anyway.  
  
Thanks to: naeko, Timberwolf220, xXxCeRuLeAn-x'SxXx, Vialana, Yuko Samari, Kiakyodragonlover, Amara, TLForever, Skittles the Sugar Fairy, Yami FireKali, Acey1, Mariana1, Kaikoi, kawaii-kirei, B Girl, anomynous, Nancy's- little-Obesssion, Nanashi2, Kaiiko-chan, hyperactive-frogchild and Sweetangle. 


	8. Plot

I'm late! I'm late! I'm very, very late! I'm very, very sorry too. I didn't mean to keep you people waiting. This chapter is quite short but enjoy! 

"….." Speech '…..' Thought ….. Implied words

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime…do I really have to keep saying this?

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Plot**

"HE WHAT!" Boris yelled at the very top of his voice

The green-eyed man opened his mouth. "He - "

"This is totally ridiculous," Boris cut through him. He began pacing around his office. Halting, he turned to the man with an eerie smile on his face, "but maybe we could use this to our advantage."

"Sir?"

"We want Kai, right?" Boris smiled. "We get Tyson and Kai follows like an obedient dog."

"Yes, but sir, how do we get Tyson to follow us?" the man asked.

Boris rolled his eyes. "Idiot! You capture him of course! Well, what are you waiting for? Get going!" he yelled, causing the man to almost jump out of his skin.

"Yes sir, right away sir," the man hastily bowed and scurried off to perform his duties.

(Tyson's POV)

"Look, they're almost identical," I said, entwining my fingers round his I never imagined I would be doing this, much less with Kai and yet he let me.

"Yo, Tyson! You and Kai in there?" Ray called from outside my door. I quickly pulled apart, trying to suppress the blush that threatened to invade my cheeks. I've always suspected that Ray knew something but I was not ready to take that risk yet.

"Y - yeah, we're in here," I stammered, mentally cursing my shaking voice as Ray opened the door.

"There you are," he smiled. "What's up? Everything okay?"

"Spiffy!" I said and mentally groaned. 'Spiffy?' what kind of word is that?

Ray cast me a quizzical look and I just grinned like an idiot; that usually stopped the questions being asked.

"Well training is just about over," Ray informed me. I could feel Kai rolling his eyes yet again and I giggled.

"What?" Ray asked with a look of pure confusion.

"Kai thinks you're all slackers!" I grinned. "He thinks that three hours training isn't nearly enough to keep you guys in top form…...oh, and that once he's better he's gonna whip you back into shape!"

"You got all that from…..oh, never mind!" Ray groaned.

I enjoyed seeing him slightly annoyed. It was fun knowing that I was the only one who could read so deeply into Kai's thoughts and feeling. It made me feel…..okay, I admit it, it made me feel damn good.

"Anyway, me, Max and Kenny are going to the arcade for some relaxing. You two wanna come?"

I looked at Kai and he shrugged as if he didn't care but I sensed that he did not really feel like going and that he did not really want me to go either.

I shot him a questioning look that said, 'why not?' and he smirked at me. He had a surprise for me, which caused me to smirk back.

"Not this time Ray," I declined. "Tell Max he can breathe easily for now but next time I'll be there to kick his but at the beat 'em ups!"

Ray laughed and left. As soon as he was gone I rounded on Kai, put my hands on my hips and made the most adorably pout I could.

"Okay mister, you better have a good reason for this. I can't believe I'm not gonna watch Max royally loose to Ray."

Kai gestured towards the window.

"Outside? What about outside? You wanna go somewhere?" I asked.

He shook his head and gestured again, this time more frantically.

"Someone outside?" I caught on. "Are you sure?" I popped my head out of the window but all I saw were bushes and birds and a beautiful blue sky. Not bad for a picnic and…..

Kai's stamped impatiently, bringing me back to my senses. It was a pity really, I was having the best fantasy about Kai and me going out to the forest and….. He stamped his foot again.

I waved my hands innocently. "Okay, I believe you!" I cried. "It must be the same person that cut you, right? Who do you think it was? Did you recognise him?"

Kai shook his head. I think he was coming to the conclusion that there was not much he could do.

As a seasoned student, adept to the language of Kai, I guessed that he was feeling a little insecure no matter how hard he tried to hide it from everyone else it was right there.

"It's okay," I reassured him, placing on hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head and waved a dismissive hand in the air. In the Kai-English dictionary that means, 'Thanks, but I think I need some time alone.'

I felt bad about leaving him alone. Of course, he was always used to being alone but that did not stop the guilt. I tried to tell myself that this is what he wanted as I left him and made my way to the arcade.

"Take care Kai," I yelled back as I left. I could not shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

(Kai's POV)

I wanted to call him back but it was to late. The door had shut and I was reluctant to run after him. I wanted to ask him to stay with me but that would be selfish. Just because I'm going through being mute doesn't mean he should stop having fun.

Still, I could not shake the feeling that something was still watching me, that something bad was about to happen.

Alone again in Tyson's room with just myself as company. I kind of missed having this kind of privacy to marvel at the events that had passed ever since loosing my voice.

Well, at least I tried to marvel at the events but I ended up getting bored. Great, Tyson's been gone for about a minute and I'm already bored without him.

I shuffled around the room uncomfortably, pondering the man in black. Those piercing green eyes were unnerving. Why was he even hiding in the azalea bushes in the first place?

Then it hit me. Biovolt was the one responsible for loosing my voice, heck Biovolt was responsible for just about every bad thing in my life. I didn't doubt for one second that the man had come from Biovolt and from Boris.

The team had foiled their plans for world domination once, Tyson had personally wrecked some of Biovolt, and I was their escaped guinea pig.

Biovolt must want me back, they must want revenge on the team too. There was a man watching us, I was so sure of it!

But that meant…..

If I had not lost my voice I think I could get into the guineas book of records for the longest string of profanity without stopping to breathe.

Unfortunately, due to being mute I could only curse in my mind as I raced out of the house and down the road.

The day was too sunny for my liking and the birds singing at a time like this were totally inappropriate but I hurtled onwards regardless of the stupid birds.

I've never been all that religious but I prayed that I was just over-reacting.

(Normal POV)

The air was unusually warm but it was welcome change from the previous chilly weather. The sun shone brightly done, casting long black shadows on everything.

Tyson made his way through the throng of busy shoppers; grandmothers with trolleys, mothers holding their children's hands and men and women in crisp business suits all passed him down the white streets.

Whistling to himself, he strolled lazily, taking time to peer into the shops before he reached the arcade; a giant complex that could have easily passed for the firm of a big business if not for the flashing lights and neon signs and the noise coming from within the building.

"Ah the arcade, I can't wait to see the look on the guys faces when I show them my new technique," Tyson smiled to himself.

A sudden warmth greeted him as he stepped inside. Looking around the masses of children he made a beeline for the fighting section where his team would be trying to knock each other out.

He was right of course there, crowded around one of the machines, Ray and Max were vigorously fighting each other with Kenny in the sidelines, watching them in silence.

"Ha! No one stands against my ninja kick! Mwahwahwa!" Max cried, faking an evil laugh.

"Nice try but you underestimate me," Ray needlessly yelled. "Go blue lighting!"

"What!" Max's jaw dropped open. "That's not fair!"

"All's fair in love and war and fighting games," Ray said with mock solemnity.

Tyson crept up to the two boys and peered over their shoulders. Both of them were so absorbed in the game that they did not notice him until he spoke.

"Whoa! Knock out, nice one, Ray! Now step aside and let the master show you how it's done!"

They both jumped and spun around. Tyson had to suppress his laughter at the look of shock on their faces.

"Yeah, I made it. You didn't think I'd miss the chance to beat you guys., did you?"

"Yeah, yeah, real funny, Tyson," Max said sarcastically. "Why don't you play Kenny and then we'll see how cocky you are."

"Chief!" Tyson laughed in disbelief. "If you want to see a slaughter….."

"Laugh it up, Tyson, we'll see who gets the last laugh in the fight, shall we?" Kenny said with unusual competitiveness.

The two took their places besides each other and Max did a count down just like in a beyblade match.

"Ready? Three……two……one….."

A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Tyson by the shoulder, spinning him around before he really knew what was going on he was staring into two crimson eyes.

"K - Kai!" Tyson choked. "What are you doing here?"

Kai took his hand off of Tyson's shoulder. Blushing with embarrassment, he shook his head. He was over-reacting after all and, despite feeling unbelievably stupid, he had never been so relived.

"Hey Kai, you can have a turn next if you want," Ray offered but he shook his head and turned to leave.

What happened next was hard to remember in chronological order. First there was the sound of something exploding then lots of screaming. After that, the events were a blur of people running and yelling.

Something had gone off in the section next to the Bladebreakers. It sounded like a bomb but no one could be sure.

There was a lot of shrieking and screaming and one of the staff yelling at everyone to stay calm while people huddled round to have a look.

Smoke rose from the targeted area. People were running away while others tried to see at a safe distance.

"What's going on there?" Max asked.

Kenny shrugged. "Maybe one of the machines exploded."

"Let's go check it out! Someone might have been hurt!" Ray cried and ran before the others could stop him.

"Ray, wait!" Kenny cried as he chased after the raven-haired blader with Max and Kai not too far behind.

Tyson was a little slow on the uptake but when he tried to move he found that his feet were frozen and that there was someone standing behind him, a little too close for comfort.

A hand covered Tyson's mouth as he turned.

Kai stopped to check that the midnight-blue blader was following. As soon as he discovered that he was not there he ran back to the place they had left him but no one was there.

* * *

Sorry but I wanted to leave it there. Oh and yes, Kai will get his voice back but not until near the end. Thank you to my reviewers and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. The next chapter will have lots of action and quite a bit of violence. I hope that's okay.

P.S. Next update in exactly one week's time. I promise!


	9. Attack

I kept my promise. Like I said, here's the next chapter. It's the third to last chapter so enjoy. Oh, and there's violence in this chapter. 

"….." Speech '…..' Thought ….. Implied words

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime…do I really have to keep saying this?

* * *

**Chapter 9 - Attack!**

Kai cocked his head to a side in confusion. He would have sworn that Tyson was behind him just a second ago.

Curiously, he stepped back to where he and Tyson were standing but everything seemed clear and the amount of people running around screaming drowned out his thoughts.

That's when the paranoia trip came in. Kai really wished he could stop having them.

What is that explosion had been a diversion from the real attack? There was no point in senselessly blowing a hole in the ground unless the attacker was extremely vindictive or extremely stupid.

Kai, however, decided to believe the worse.

He hurried over to where the rest of his team was idly staring at the smoking crater and tugged ray's sleeve.

Ray turned around to see a pair of large crimson eyes staring at him. "What is it?" he asked.

Kai frowned. How was he going to do this? He had no paper with him; he never really needed any when Tyson was around to translate.

"Can you mime it?" Ray asked, causing Kai to scowl. That was exactly what he was doing!

"Something about us?" Max joined in guessing as Kai pointed to them.

"If only Tyson was here!" Kenny sighed then perked up. "Where is Tyson anyway?"

Kai felt like jumping up and down but he held onto his dignity and nodded instead.

"Tyson's in trouble?" Ray guessed. Kai nodded.

(Tyson's POV)

I didn't really get what was going on. One minute I was following the others to the source of the explosion and the next minute someone had covered my mouth with a filthy gloved hand and was dragging me away.

I tried to struggle. In my panic I forgot that I could breath through my nose and almost knocked myself unconscious.

It wasn't until I was well away from the arcade in a secluded little alleyway did my captor release me.

I spun round, I was going to give whomever it was a piece of my mind but I stopped.

This guy was not big or anything but those eyes were scary. They were so green and so piercing I thought they could cut through metal or something. When I gathered myself back together I yelled. "What the heck do you think you're doing?"

He was dressed head to toe in black but when he smiled it made him seem even more eerie. "You have a meeting to attend. You never should have messed with Biovolt," he said in one of those mysterious voices you find in old black and white horror films.

Well at least I knew who had employed him. What an idiot!

"Yeah, whatever," I waved him away. "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

He smiled again. His hand went to his waist and drew something black and gleaming. "Are you sure?"

I stared at the probably loaded gun, feeling as if I had been swindled somehow. "That's cheating." I moaned. Not that it would make much difference.

"I never play by the rules," the green-eyed man smirked.

I gritted my teeth together to refrain from doing something I would regret. It looked as if there was no way out for me.

"Are you going to come quietly?" he asked and I nodded.

(Normal POV)

"Tyson!" Ray yelled as he skidded down the alley. He was panting heavily, as was Max and Kenny.

"Guys!" Tyson cried. He made for them but the man grabbed him by the shoulder and forced him back. He pointed the gun to Tyson's head and everyone held their breath.

"Stay back!" the man growled. "Don't take one more step or I'll the painting the pavement in brain," he warred them and judging by the look in his eyes he was willing to do exactly what he said.

"You scumbag!" Max cried. "Why do you want Tyson?"

The man smirked but did not answer the blonde's question. Instead, he turned his gaze directly at Kai, who was silently fuming, and his smirk widened. "Ah, Kai, Boris was very upset when we lost you."

Kai gave the man one of his infamous death glares. It was enough to send the hardest of men running but Tyson's captor just waved it off.  
"No voice, huh?" He continued casually. "That's good, now you can come with me and I'll let your little dragon go or……" The gun clicked.

All eyes went from Tyson to the man to Kai and then to Tyson again. Kai knew they were all wondering the same thing. What was the leader of the Bladebreakers going to do now?

Kai's hands were curled into fists. He was literally shaking with rage. Who knew what he would do when he was so infuriated?

It happened slowly but Kai took one step forward and then another and another until he was walking towards the man with piercing eyes.

"Kai, what do you think you're doing?" Max asked nervously.

"No, this is not good!" Kenny wailed. "Have you gone nuts, Kai? Stay away from him"

"Don't worry about me, Kai!" Tyson wanted to scream but only the first few words emerged before his mouth was covered.

"Come on, Kai," the man beckoned as if Kai was some dumb dog.

Behind him, the others were calling but none of them moved to block him from his path.

They were just a foot away when Kai held up his hands in surrender.

As quick as lightening, the man handcuffed him with a triumphant "Gotcha! You can go," he said in disgust and shoved Tyson away.

The blue eyed boy fell to the pavement. His friends hurried to help him up but he denied their help.

"I'm fine," Tyson mumbled as he rose from the dirty alleyway floor. He did not pause to wipe away any invisible dust or offer his worried friends anymore reassurance. He stared straight at Kai.

'Why?' Tyson's eyes silently pleaded.

'Because,' was the only answer Kai offered and it was the only one Tyson could find in those crimson orbs.

"Well, thank you for your co-operation, gentlemen but we'll be making of leave now," the man did a magician's bow and turned, dragging Kai along with him.

"Wait!" Tyson cried though he knew it would be no use trying to talk to a member of Biovolt but he had to try something.

Miraculously, the man paused.

"W - where are you going?" Tyson stuttered.

"To Biovolt. It was a fair exchange after all."

"You can't take Kai!" Ray yelled furiously. His golden eyes flashed angrily and he bore his fangs in a threatening manner but not even that could unnerve the Biovolt employee.

"Yes, I believe I can," he said with all the calmness and arrogance of anyone trained by Biovolt.

"But - " Kenny opened his mouth to protest but the man cut through him.

"Oh, and one last thing." He drew his gun.

A loud bang resounded through the alleyway, scattering any nearby birds that in turn squawked in fright. The sound was almost deafening but to everyone involved everything was muffled and the events were sluggish as they played out in front of them.

There were looks of horror, looks of shock and one look of malevolent satisfaction. Only one expression was strangely calm and that was Tyson's was he fell to the floor with red lotus stain spurting near his stomach.

Then someone seemed to remove the haziness and everything went into fast forward.

"Tyson!" Max screamed.

"Tyson!" Kenny joined in.

"That's for wrecking our labs," the man muttered.

"You bastard!" Ray swore. His eyes were flaming and watering at the same time as he approached the man.

"Don't come any closer," the man pointed the gun at Ray.

"That's not going to stop me!" Ray yelled. His fury had defeated his common sense in the battle to get revenge.

Another shot was fired. Ray felt a searing pain as he flung himself to the floor. The sound exploded from the end of the gun but it had missed its target.

A trickle of blood ran down the raven-haired boy's arm. When he looked up he saw the man trying, with great difficulty, to restrain Kai.

Kai was twisted and writhing like a fish, trying to bit or kick the man since his hands were restrained.

Blinded by pure anger, he failed to block the hard punch aimed at his head.

Ray watched Kai crumple into an unconscious heap on the floor.

"Well, boys, I'll be making my leave now." Picking up Kai's limp form, he saluted mockingly and ran.

"Ray!"

I'm fine," Ray assured his friends.

"Kenny, call an ambulance," Max ordered.

Kenny nodded then asked. "What about Kai?"

"There's nothing we can do now," Ray shook his head sadly. "First we have to help Tyson."

As Kenny rushed off to find a phone Ray and Max carefully crouched by the side of their injured friend.

Everything seemed bad. The blood seemed to keep flowing out and Tyson was muttering inaudible things under his breath.

Max shuddered. Tyson's eyes were always sparkling with laughter but now they were partly glazed and distant.

"Hold on Tyson, we're gonna get you some help, okay?" Max clutched the boy's hands.

"Yeah, you'll be fine," Ray added and was ashamed to that his voice lacked the conviction Max's voice had

"The ambulance is coming," Kenny informed them as soon as he returned.

Max looked around but there seemed to be no help arriving. Ray's arm was bleeding badly but he refused to allow Kenny to treat it.

In the shadowy alleyway it seemed as if it there was just one dying boy and his friends left in the whole world.

The handcuffs were removed and Kai was thrown into a dark and dingy cell. Damp straw and the smell of dead and rotting rats lay thick in the air.

In the corner, Kai curled up into a ball. If a mouse were to scurry along the stone floor it might just be able to see the faintest glimmer in those mournful crimson eyes.

It seemed like an eternity before any sound emerged down the hall. Kai perked his head up and listened to the echoing of footsteps approaching. It was Boris.

The door opened and light flooded into the dark cell before the door slammed shut and the light was gone. "Well hello Kai," Boris greeted him in his usual satanic manner. "I hope Callum wasn't too hard on you. We were so upset when you left us."

Kai bared his teeth in a snarl. Everything about Boris made him was to rip out the man's head and spit down his neck.

"Now, now," Boris waved a finger, "no need to be unfriendly, I have a big future planned for you, a future that does not include the Bladebreakers, especially a certain meddling little boy!"

Kai was visualising what it would look like if he shoved Boris in a blender but the words 'meddling little boy' caught his attention.

"Your grandfather will not be happy when he hears you new show of…emotion," Boris spat the last word out as if it was a particularly sour lemon. "Especially considering who it's towards."

'What would you know about emotions?' Kai wanted to ask to he resolved to just scowling.

"I have so much planned for you," Boris said almost dreamily. "The experiments have been tweaked up to perfection. Tomorrow we shall continue where we left off shall we?" he grinned sadistically, leaving Kai to his own thoughts.

Kai spat at the floor where Boris once stood. His mind was made up. He would somehow have to escape tonight or else they would start the experiments on him and then he might never be able to return to where he belonged.

He tried to think but his mind constantly wandered to Tyson and whether he was okay or not.

As he felt night settle in he still had no plans and tiredness was threatening to overcome him.

Soon, he gave in to the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed that. I'm not making any promises this time but I'll probably have the next one up soon. 


	10. Escape

I just remembered that I had to update. Sorry for the long wait, I must be getting lazy. 

"….." Speech '…..' Thought ….. Implied words

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime…..now if I had a penny for every time I've written that…..

* * *

**Chapter Ten - Escape**

Footsteps. Slow steady footsteps stirred Kai from his uneasy sleep.

He bolted up right, rushing to the door to place an ear to the hard wooden door.

They were coming for him, he knew it. They were coming to do God knows what to him. He had to escape but as he scanned his cell he could see no way out.

Kai edged away from the door as the sound f bolts being released and a key scraping through the lock reached his ears. Maybe if he made a dash for it……

The door opened and lights streamed in, blinding him with its brilliance. He ran blindly towards it, hoping he would somehow get out.

He felt something grab his shirt and suddenly he could not run anymore, he was being held fast.

"There's no escape for you," a voice rasped in the blinding light.

The heart monitor beeped once, then twice, then a third time. It continued beeping steadily with every heart beat coming from the boy attached.

The room was clean, disgustingly clean, and smelt of turpentine and antiseptic.

Ray and all that was left of the team sat in the waiting room. It was deathly silent. Max cleared his throat as if to say something but when Ray looked at him he turned his eyes down and stared at the floor.

"What are we going to do?" Kenny murmured but in the quiet atmosphere it was as if he had been shouting.

"What can we do?" Ray shook his head helplessly. "We can't do much for Tyson and as for Kai…..well, Biovolt is a huge place, we would not know where to find him."

"We have to do something," Max muttered almost inaudibly.

No one said anything after that.

In the small hospital room the monitor beeped. It was so lonely, painfully lonely in there. If only the doctors would allow them into the room instead of sitting out in the waiting room, Ray thought.

Nothing stirred in the little hospital room, just the constant beep of the monitor that could stop at anytime, just the beep…beep and nothing more.

Kai let them drag him through the cold corridors. The men were too big for him to struggle against anyway.

They led him into a room almost an exact copy of the one he had been in before he had lost his voice.

The machinery looked the same but now suspicious looking turbines lined the white room. Kai hated anything that was too white - it always reminded him of hospitals.

Boris was there along with a few scientists. Briefly, Kai wondered if he would be able to escape after the experiment. He had had many experiments done to him during his time in the abbey and had always came out human enough.

'What if this is different? What if I don't come back the way I was?' Kai shuddered at the thought, an image of something hairy with wings perhaps and long talons, flashed through his head but what scared him even more was the thought, 'What if I forget?'

Not to remember those times with his team, when they goofed off and almost had him laughing too, not to remember Tyson, those gentle caresses, how he looked, how he smiled…that was even more frightening than anything else he could think of.

"Are you ready, Kai?" Boris asked, Kai snarled at him.

"Sir, the machine has been prepared," one of the scientists said.

"Good," Boris nodded. "Strap him in," he commanded and the two men dragged Kai to the operating table.

Kai did not struggle, he would not let Boris have the pleasure of seeing him like that. He let them strap him to the operating table with cold, calm arrogance that he hoped would annoy Boris.

As scientists scurried around doing last minute checks Boris strode up to where Kai lay, leering down at him.

"Do you see these?" Boris held up a glass box of bitchips. "One of these happy fellows will be inside of you. A human-bitbeast, the perfect soldier! The body of a human, the abilities of a human but with the power of a bitbeast and it's blind sense of duty, which will make it obey its masters no matter what the order!"

Boris ignored the growls coming from the operating table. He selected a particularly appealing raven bitbeast and placed it into a wire cage. It was only a pity that Dranzer could not be found, now that would have been interesting.

"We're ready to begin," a scientist nodded. Boris nodded back.

Kai listened to the whirl of turbines, the pulse of electricity running through the cables and the bubbling of chemicals.

This was it. He wished Tyson were here with him, he hoped the blue eyed boy was okay.

There was no way out, in a few seconds he would be a mindless puppy-dog with no freewill and no ability to think for himself. Maybe he would be able to hold onto his memories, though they would become distant blurs they would still be there.

A jolt of pain flashed through his body, his eyes widened in shock then screwed shut, he gritted his teeth together and held on as he felt the change.

Boris was jumping from one foot to the other with glee, crying "Yes! Yes!"

'Don't concentrate on the pain just try to remember.'

The pain coursed through Kai's body, the feeling of change. He thought he saw images of the bitbeast realm, of what it felt to be summoned into what bitbeasts called the mortal realm, the thrill of battle. Kai could feel himself locked in battle with other bitbeasts, the cheer and the burning desire to please his master.

'Master? I have no master!'

Fighting against so many different bitbeasts, flying through the air, Kai felt it all.

Whatever bitbeast Boris had chosen, it had led a lonely life. It had never been fully bonded with a person but juggled from blader to blader like a useless toy, he shared the dreams that one day someone who truly cared would pick it up and together they would rise above the rest.

Kai felt its pain but even more so he felt their two beings merging together and the face he had tried to concentrate on was blurred and distorted.

He was beginning to forget.

'I won't forget!' he told himself. 'I refuse to forget!'

"I want to be bonded!"

Kai thought he was going mad when he heard a voice inside his head until he realised that it was the bitbeast. The experiment was almost complete.

'I can't be bonded, I'll forget!' Kai wanted to scream but he found he had no voice. 'I have to escape and get back to…..get back to where? There was someone I had to see.'

"I want to be bonded! I want a master!"

'Shut up!' No, he should get the bitbeast to work with him. That was it! 'I'll find you a master, someone who cares just get me out!'

The scientists were yelling and talking in loud voices, running up and down to check the turbines.

"What's going wrong this time?" Boris yelled angrily.

"I don't know sir, I think - "

A turbine exploding cut off the scientist's speech. The metal cage that held the bitbeast cracked open, something black circled the room then flew straight over the operating table.

Kai felt the presence of the bitbeasts draining away. He could remember the smiling faces of his team mates. The one with long raven black hair, that was Ray, Max was the hyper one, Kenny was the smart one and Tyson…..he was the angel with blue eyes.

Shaking himself back to reality, a sudden urgency pressed against him. He had to find his team! The restraints were cut and the scientists were flapping away in frenzy.

Kai grabbed the bitchip in the smoking metal cage and made a break for the door.

"Stop him!" he heard Boris yell. The sirens almost immediately began to wail but that only spurred Kai onwards.

"Get away!" Kai yelled before he realised what he was doing. His voice! It sounded so strange now. Perhaps the experiment had done something to bring back his voice.

However, he had no time to ponder it, he ran out of the room and down the cold corridors.

The sound of many footsteps were at his heels as Kai tore into the open grounds of Biovolt. People were shouting and the thunder of footsteps always seemed close by.

Kai climbed the gate with the raven clasped in one hand.

"There he is!" someone yelled but Kai did not stop to glance back at who had said it.

Kai ran and did not stop even when he felt as if he was going to collapse. He ran into the streets, barging his way through the crowds without a word of apology. The men followed, hot on his trail.

Kai turned into the alleys, a hopelessly impossible maze of wooden fences. After several sharp turns he allowed himself to stop and catch his breath, surely he had lost them now.

Yet another problem arose. In all of his frantic running he had gotten himself impossibly lost.

He was ready to hit himself for that. He had to find Tyson, even if it was the last thing he did and so his feet carried him along the alleys.

It was almost dark, the sun was beginning to set in the distant horizon before Kai saw the end of the alleys. The sight of shops and people were a relief to him and what was even more relieving was the sight of the hospital.

Kai gulped. Tyson would be in there after the bullet wound he had received but what state would he be in. There was only one way to find out.

Ray stretched and yawned. They had stayed in the hospital for hours. The doctor had allowed five minutes to see him but Ray did not think he could bring himself to go in that little room again.

Max and Kenny were yawning too. It had been a rough day and they were just about to leave…..

…..When Kai burst in.

Ray almost jumped. Kai was the last thing he expected to see, he had to rub his eyes just to make sure he was not imagining things.  
"Kai!" Ray grinned. He was definitely there.

Kai held up a hand. "Where's Tyson?" he asked.

"Your voice!" Max gasped. The others crowded round him, asking if he was okay and how he had escaped but Kai cut through them all.

"Where' s Tyson?" he asked again.

"Room thirty but - "

Kai did not wait to hear what Ray had to say next, he was down the corridor in a flash.

His heart was knocking against his ribs. Room thirty, the critical ward…..Tyson…..if he was not all right Biovolt would pay, Boris would pay.

Kai felt his pace quicken until he was running. The room thirty came into view. Kai pushed the door open and ran into the room. He abruptly came to a stop by the bed and the heart monitor still beeping but faintly.

"Tyson," Kai whispered. Moving towards the blue haired boy, Kai lightly touched one arm. He felt so cold.

"We wanted to tell you," Kenny's voice emerged from the doorway, "he's been getting weaker and weaker by the minute. The doctor said that he might…..die."

"Tyson," Kai repeated the name.

Tyson's hair was down, almost past his shoulders like two blue angel wings. His eyes were closed in an almost serene expression. He looked as if he was just sleeping and that he would wake again and everything would be all right.

"Tyson, I can talk now, aren't you gonna wake up and tell me how great that is?"

There was no response.

Kai gently prodded him. "C'mon, Tyson," he almost begged. He could not believe that as soon as he had escaped only to find this waiting for him.

The raven bitbeast was clutched in one hand, Kai knew that Dranzer was safe in Tyson's dojo. Kai shook him again and this time the boy before him stirred.

"It's snowing," Kai heard Max murmur.

Snow. Like that very first day he had lost his voice.

"Kai?" a weak voice croaked.

"He's awake!" Max cried, he moved forward but Ray flung an arm out to stop him, shaking his head sadly. Max nodded and fell into the background.  
"Hey, Tyson," Kai smiled, though the smile felt wrong on his face. "Listen, I got my voice back."

"That's great!" Tyson managed to grin.

"How are you feeling?"

"My stomach hurts!" Tyson complained. "I won't be able to eat in days!"

Kai's smile deepened but it was lined with worry. Did he know? Did Tyson know what could happen to him? Maybe now he had his voice he should…..

"Tyson, I - "

Tyson shook his head. "Don't bother, I know."

Kai stared but Tyson just smiled never knowing that it might be his very last smile.

* * *

Kai with his voice back? And I was beginning to really like a silent Kai. Will Tyson die? I have a whole chapter cooked up for if he dies but then again I also have another chapter for if he doesn't die. What should I do? The next chapter will be the last chapter. 


	11. The End

The last chapter! This has been my best fic ever but it has to come to an end. Now most of you wanted Tyson to live so…..well if I said any more now I would ruin the chapter. Read and enjoy! Oh, and about the costumes, put 'em in whatever you want. 

"….." Speech '…..' Thought ….. Implied words

Disclaimer: I do not own this anime

* * *

**Chapter Eleven - The End….almost**

Sweet is true love tho' given in vain, in vain;  
And sweet is death who puts an end to pain- Alfred Tennyson

The world seemed to melt around that moment.

Kai stood there for so long that he hardly noticed Ray ushering the others outside or the echo of a nurse's footsteps until she patiently tapped Kai on the shoulder.

He turned around then looked up at a tall woman in white uniform. She held a clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. It could have been Kai's imagination but she never seemed to be able to look him straight in the eye.

"You are his team mate? I need to speak with you," she motioned him away from Tyson.

Kai gave a last look at the boy lying in bed then nodded, following her out of the room

The nurse softly shut the door. The rest of the team stood there patiently, no one said a thing to each other. All eyes were on the nurse and the clipboard she held.

Kai ignored his team mates; his eyes were firmly locked on the nurse. She too seemed too seemed to ignore the others; her eyes matched Kai stare for stare as if she knew how much the little sick boy meant to him.

Silence was only broken by a far-away phone ringing.

The nurse cleared her throat then checked her clipboard. "This must be hard for you, all of you," she passed a quick glance around the others. "Your friend…Tyson…is in quite serious condition. He's awake, but only because we have him on life-support."

Kai knew what was coming next but it was Kenny who spoke.

"Y - you don't mean - " the chief choked on his own words, as if they were too hard to speak.

The nurse looked as if she would rather be somewhere else then here and Kai agreed with her. He would rather be somewhere else too. "He's in a lot of pain. He took a bullet to the stomach."

"No, c'mon, there's gotta be something," Max shuffled uneasily, "There's gotta be something you can do" he laughed nervously.

The nurse began twiddling her fingers. "I'm sorry but…there's…there's really nothing anyone can do about it. I suggest you save yourself some trouble and let us turn the machine off."

Mortified gasps rose from the group but Kai did not join them. He knew. As much as he had tried to deny it, he had known from the moment he laid eyes on Tyson, laying there with wires coming out of his body hooked up to different machines.

"I'm sorry." She seemed to be saying that a lot. "We'll give her some medicine to put her to sleep, then I'll turn the machine off. She won't even know….it'll…..it'll just be like having a very long dream."

'Yeah, one that will last for eternity,' Kai thought. He felt sick and the world began to spin. He felt as if he would throw up but he steeled himself against it. 'Not here,' he told himself. 'Not in front of them'

It just was not fair! As soon as he got better Tyson was sent to hospital. Kai clutched the bit chip in his pocket for reassurance but it hardly helped.

"Are…are you saying that we should…kill…him?" Max shuddered at the thought. "No one would be as heartless as to do that!"

"He's in a lot of pain."

Kai just wished they would all shut up. He wanted this all to be over. He did not know hoe long he could cough back the tears that begged to escape but at the same time he was ashamed for wanting it to be done with.

'Tyson…'

Kai gulped back the tears, and drowned the ache in his chest.

"Only under one condition," he whispered. It sounded surprisingly calm but then again that was how it always was with him - always calm on the outside while on the inside his heart was tearing him apart.

All eyes were on him now.

"I want," - no that was not right - "I have to pull it." It was the hardest thing he thought he would ever have to say and the shouts of protest made it no easier.

"What! You can't give up Kai!" Kenny's horrified shout mixed in with Maxi's cry of, "why can't we see him too?"

"Stop it!" a harsh voice cut through them. It took a while for Kai to realise that he had not said anything. Though all eyes had switched to Ray his golden orbs were staring intently at Kai. When he spoke his voice quivered. "This is something Kai must do….alone."

Max gulped and nodded, Kenny shook his head and the nurse just sighed.

Kai gave Ray a grateful look as the nurse tugged him back into the room.

"Hey, you're back," Tyson's cheerful yet weak voice hailed him as he entered.

Kai smiled and bit back the tears just a little longer. He had to be strong…..for him.

Tyson patted a spot besides his bed and Kai carefully sat down. Now that he was close Kai could see just how tired Tyson looked, world-weary. He had never seen Tyson world-weary. It did not suit him.

Tyson…a blue-eyed angel still beautiful, still so cute despite the lines or tiredness etched into his face. His angel had had his wings torn. His angel.  
"How are you feeling now?" Kai mumbled.

"Could be better," Tyson smiled. He was always cute when he smiled.

Kai faked a laugh. Did he know? Did he know what was going on, or that he was going to die?

"It's snowing," Tyson's voice trembled unsteadily, though Kai had already heard Max murmur it he pretended he had only just realised. "I don't think the nurses would like it if I played in the snow."

Kai flinched. His breathing quickened as he tried to hold back his emotion. The walls of his training were breaking. He did not think he could hold it in.

Biovolt! They would pay and this time he would leave nothing standing even if he had to die in the process.

It was not meant to end this way. Tyson was not supposed to die, he was supposed to grow old, and live a long life. He was still so young, and all of his life had been stolen from him.

'No! Don't think of that. Think positive!' But the anger and the hurt and the pain was there and it would not go away.

"Do you think the nurses will let me out? What did they say to you anyway?" Tyson asked innocently.

"I…I don't think you can come out any time soon." Kai hated lying to Tyson this way. He felt so dirty but he continued regardless of it. "Maybe…..maybe another time."

"The nurses said I'd be fine, didn't they?"

"…..Y - yeah," Kai gulped. God, he felt like scum, lying the way he was, "you're gonna be okay…"

He squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as he could, not letting any tears escape. Tyson leaned against his chest. Kai could feel Tyson breathing, feel his heart beating so faintly. He did not dare to hold him too hard in case he broke something.

'Like a porcelain doll,' Kai mused.

The nurse tapped him on the shoulder. She had an IV bag that held the sedative in her hand. Kai almost choked.

It was time.

No matter how hard Kai tried to hold on it was time. He still could not believe what he was doing. He hated every part of himself but not as much as he hated Biovolt.

"What's that?" Tyson rasped, eyeing the bag suspiciously.

"Just something to send you to sleep," Kai tried to smile. At least he was not lying anymore. Soon Tyson would drift of into a dreamless sleep, one that lasted eternity.

'No more pain…..no more tears…..nothing…...just endless peace.'

"But I don't feel tired," Tyson whined. "My stomach hurts, that's all."

Kai couldn't help but smile at that. Good old Tyson, nothing seemed to keep him down…..it was hard to imagine he was dying if not for the weakness in Tyson's voice, the lines of tiredness and the heart machines slow, heart wrenching beeps.

"You won't leave me, will you?" Tyson's blue eyes begged.

"Wouldn't dream of it" Kai tentatively hugged the smaller boy until he felt him flinch from pain.

They both watched the nurse busy herself with the sedative. Tyson turned to Kai again. Despite the pain in his side he managed a weak grin. "Hey, after this, when I get better do you want a beyblade battle?"

Kai felt his heart shatter but amazingly he held the warm smile on his face. He was so pure…..so innocent….

"Sure, once you're better we'll have a match." He knew he'd go to hell for all the lying that he had done in one day.

Tyson yawned. "Good night, Kai."

"Yeah, night," Kai mumbled.

Tyson yawned again and drifted into dreamless sleep.  
Kai stood there silently, observing everything that was Tyson. Blue hair that was unbound spilled down to his shoulders like blue wings…..angel wings.

Would Tyson be an angel? Would he go to heaven? Of course he would, he was too pure to go anywhere else. Briefly, Kai remembered all the times he had with Tyson, the shouting and the yelling as well as the laughter.

The heart monitor beeped again each time it seemed to slow down until the next beep seemed to come just in time.

Kai leaned over and hugged the still boy, one hand wrapped around his angel while the other, trembling hand reached over for the plug to the life machine, drawing blood as he bit his lip.

"I love you," he whispered just loud enough for Tyson to hear if he was awake.

Then he tugged.

The monitor dimmed, the beeps were gone, replaced by a hideous screech. Tyson sighed in his sleep, his final breath. A small, content smile played on those pink lips.

"Oh God…" Kai shook all over, unable to comprehend the depth of his actions. "Leave," he ordered the nurse.

The nurse silently complied, and shutting the door behind her.

Kai drew a long, shuddering breath. What had he done? Tyson could not be dead, he just could not be dead - he would not accept that.

"Tyson…Tyson, wake up, you're all better, the hospital fixed you. Open your eyes, damn you. Wake up!" He sobbed his final words, breaking down. He was too tired of keeping back the tears, who was he hiding them from anyway? He let go, let them escape and they washed over him like a tidal wave, wracking his chest and making his head spin.

"Damn it, Tyson!" Kai pounded his fist against the side of the bed. "Damn it, why won't you wake up? You can't leave me like this!"

He just wished that he could hear him laugh just one more time or see him smile. Even is Tyson got mad at him and yelled at him that would be something, even if Tyson told him what a pathetic excuse for a human being he was that would have been welcomed.

"Damn it," he cried out. "Why? It wasn't meant to be this way! Why did it have to end this way?"

Just five more minutes, two even, a few seconds would have done. Just a few seconds for Kai to say all the things he had meant to say, all the things he was too proud or too cold or too scared to say. Just a little longer…..but it was hopeless.

Never before had he had any real meaning in life but to be the best. Tyson had given him the belief of something more, something better. Where were those heroic ideals and undying kindness that Tyson was full of?

His faith, his hope, his belief in life…died in his arms as he tried desperately to revive it. Without Tyson, what did his life mean?

Nothing.

'…It's snowing…' Tyson's voice haunted his thoughts.

Was it his fault things had turned out this way? Could things have been different? What would have happened if he had never lost his voice in the first place?

Kai stopped, brushing away his tears and stood up. He shook his head to chase away those unanswered questions. He found he was able to collect his other thoughts, of which there was only one.

Revenge.

He could not join Tyson yet, wherever he was, there were still things he had to do and promises he had to keep.

It was snowing heavily now. Icy just like his heart, just like the bodies he left behind in a blazing path of vengeance.

He had a purpose, he could not die just yet.

Kai left the hospital without a word to his friends, stepping out to where Biovolt lay.

And all the while the snow came down.

* * *

He he, well I really couldn't think of a happy ending and I thought this was kinda sweet. Sorry to all Tyson lovers (and Kai lovers too) but I really could not think of a happy ending to this fic. Maybe there'll be a sequel where Tyson did not die and they have to find that bitbeast a master.

Well, I'd love to stay but I've become uncomfortably aware of those brandishing swords and I have to get away from those hounding for my blood. I'm gonna update Twisted Roses soon and then I think I'll try something happier. Thanks to all who reviewed, 'til then.

Mizu


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